Wicked Little Girls
by JadoreJAC
Summary: She was the type of girl rockstars sang about. She was sweet, sexy, with a devil's body and wicked intelligence. Impossible to ignore, the girl next door...literally. I was so screwed.
1. Sweet Cherry Pie

**Hello and thank you for coming back to WLG. A few days ago, I was informed that Wicked Little Girls was completely removed from the site for having the word 'fucked' in my summary. Very anger-provoking needless to say… Anyway, thank you to SixDlbfive and WhoKnew24 for searching and sending me the chapters again so I could re-post it. Chapters will be re-posted at least every week, if not more often, with alternate POVs still offered at the end.**

**Pre-removal review count: 1,002**

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**EDWARD**

Their chocolate fondue glitter was wicked and penetrating, leaving very little to the imagination. In a single stare, her eyes spoke volumes about her devilment, her manipulation, her power. Many left the company of Isabella Swan without hearing a single word, but feeling inexplicably drawn to her nonetheless. I was no different.

She stood next to her mother, looking wickedly beautiful with messy hair, a tiny sundress, and black Ray-Bans a la Risky Business that sat on top of her head. Despite the fact that my mother had been talking to the other woman - Renee Swan - for a solid three minutes, I'd heard not one word the entire time. My senses had been dulled down to just sight the moment I lay my eyes on her.

"Edward?" And the hearing is back.

"Yeah?" I darted my eyes toward my mother who in turn gave me an odd look.

"Bella goes to Ivy Ridge Prep as well. She's a junior, too."

I nodded and chanced a smile at Bella, earning a small nod in return.

Her mother then piped up from beside her. "We're having a small get-together tonight at the house if you'd like to come. Just a few kids from the neighborhood that go to the school and their parents."

"You should come." Bella's voice was rich and sinuously commanding. Her statement was an order, not a suggestion. Her snake gaze zeroed in on my acceptance. "We live across the street." She stabbed her thumb in the direction of the huge three story house set up on an equally huge hill with a snaking driveway.

"Yeah, sure, definitely." I internally winced at my eloquence.

"Seven o'clock." And then she walked away from me, my house, and her mother without another word.

Her mother smiled brightly as if she didn't recognize any oddities in her daughter's behavior. "You should come by, too, Esme. And bring your husband. We parents usually like to polish off a few bottles of wine before the first day back to school."

"That sounds nice, Renee," my mother said. "We'll definitely stop by."

When Renee had left and the front door was shut, my mother turned to me. "Beautiful girl," she commented innocently before strolling down the hall to the master bedroom.

I ignored the weird feeling her comment gave me and went up to my room. Cardboard boxes filled with my life littered the hardwood floors of my new bedroom, while random clothes and other items were strewn about haphazardly. We'd only moved in last night from Forks, Washington. My father, Carlisle, was promoted to Chief of Medicine at the nearby hospital, and with his generous new salary, came a nicer house.

While we'd never been frugal in Forks, our lifestyle had never been so…extravagant. In fact, our modest two bedroom house in the small town had been nicer than most of the other homes that dotted the streets. It was an added perk that it was one block over from my girlfriend, Lauren's house.

Now, we lived in an upper-class neighborhood in Rolling Hills, Washington that housed mansions and was two hours driving distance from her. She was upset over the move, but we'd made a promise to each other to try and make it work.

When the clock inched closer to seven, I stood at the opening of my filled closet. I had no idea how long I stood staring, but when my parents called my name, I snapped into action and threw on some jeans and a random t-shirt.

Distance did nothing to showcase the lavishness of the Swan home. Up close, it was white marbled with looming pillars and carefully placed "overgrown" ivy. Renee answered the door with an enthused smile and hugged both my parents excitedly. We were ushered in and Renee directed me to a room that was at the end of a darkened hallway. I watched my parents abandon me to enter the kitchen that overflowed with chattering adult voices.

"It's Edward, right?" Her voice made me jump and claw at my heart. Bella leaned against the dark wall nonchalantly, one foot crossed in front of the other and her arms folded. Her legs were revealed by a pair of microscopic denim shorts and she had on a flowy white tank top.

I smiled to ease my embarrassment and nodded. She stared at me for a moment, silently, before she asked me, "Do I make you nervous, Edward?"

I blanched. I wasn't expecting her bluntness. "No," I lied.

She smiled as if she could read my mind. "Come on, we're in here." She swiveled and entered the only lit room. I followed her and took in the sight of a giant-ass flat screen and the four bodies that surrounded it.

"Guys!" Bella said forcefully, getting everyone's attention. "This is Edward. He moved in across the street. Edward, this is Rosalie," she pointed to the attractive blonde with a white controller in hand, "Alice and Jasper," the small girl grinned at me widely from the lap of a laid-back blonde guy, "and this is my twin brother, Emmett."

The biggest one immediately got to this feet and bounded over to me. I braced myself for his move and he slapped me on the back in a harsh man hug. "Nice to meet you, Eddie! Bee Bee says you're cool. Want dibs on next Mario Kart game?"

And that was how I was seemingly initiated into their little group. We spent several hours in fierce Mario Kart wars between each other, and throughout that time I learned little things about them and exchanged information about myself. Alice and Jasper were madly in love, going on four years, Rosalie was Emmett's "sexy anytime booty call" - that comment had earned a rather loud head smack - and Bella was an enigma. They were all in the same grade as me and best friends.

When 9:30 rolled around, the Wii lost its appeal and we made our way to the back patio where the parents were lounging. I was introduced to Rosalie's mother and Jasper's father who were married, Alice's father, and Mr. Swan. Renee handed out strawberry wine coolers to us without batting an eye. Sitting around with this new group of people, drinking, and having fun felt new and different and exciting. Despite having my life uprooted, this change didn't feel so bad.

When the night wound down, mostly everyone left, including my parents who walked hand-in-hand across the street. Rosalie and Alice had disappeared up the staircase a few minutes before, and Bella walked me to the door.

"I had a good time tonight," I said as I shoved my hands in my pockets.

"I'm glad."

I made to leave. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school then."

She grinned. "Welcome to the neighborhood, Edward."

With one last glance at her angel's face and devil's smirk, I began my short trek home. Welcome to the neighborhood indeed.

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**Tit for tat: You review, and I'll send you Bella's POV of this chapter**

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	2. Surprises

**I want to thank all of the people who were original readers of the first WLG and came back, and another big helping of gratitude to the new readers! :)**

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**EDWARD**

"The lunch ladies here have herpes."

I had just picked up a lunch tray when I heard her voice close to me; I cut my head to the right and saw her standing off to the side with a small bag and a big grin.

"Seriously?" I was almost sure she was joking, but why chance herpes?

Bella chuckled. "Who knows?" Her shoulders shrugged up and down nonchalantly. "Come on, you can share my lunch."

As I followed behind her, I noticed two nerdish guys that were behind me in line with their mouths dropped open in shock. In fact, as I looked around, I could make out the sketchy not-so-subtle glances people threw our way. Some faces were curious for obvious reasons, others were surprised, and a select few looked angry, jealous even. When we got to an empty table, I sat down slowly, wondering if I was the only one who noticed my now-peers' reactions to me with Bella.

"What's wrong with Edward?" Alice trilled with perplexity as she approached us.

Bella looked at me, finally noticing my confusion. "What's up with you?" She asked, leaning closer.

"Um, nothing. It's just…everyone's staring."

Then Bella and Alice giggled. "Edward, we aren't used to fresh meat here unless it comes over from the middle school. Plus, you're sort of hot so get used to the stares." The only thing I could focus on was that Bella had said that I was 'sort of hot'. Not so much a real, genuine compliment, but it made my heart jump nonetheless.

As Bella slid half her turkey club toward me, Emmett and Jasper joined us at the table, closely followed by Rosalie.

"What are you motherfuckers talking about?" Emmett asked.

Bella snorted. "Edward's getting all shy with the attention he's getting," she informed him, glancing around the nosy cafeteria.

Emmett then took notice, turning around to face everyone. "Mind your own business, assholes! This isn't the zoo," he shouted. I observed with shock as everyone swiveled and ducked their heads at his command.

Rosalie laughed. "Nice one, babe."

"Thank you, thank you," Emmett said dramatically, finally scooting into his chair. "So anyway, Speed Street this weekend?"

"Hell yeah," Bella confirmed, with the others replying in the same suit.

"What about you, Eddie boy," Emmett addressed me. "You're coming with us, right?"

"Uh, what's Speed Street?" I wondered.

Bella answered. "It's this multi-concert festival in downtown Seattle. There are a couple of stages and different bands play throughout the weekend. We can all stay at my house; Dad's in Washington and Mom went to Palm Springs with Rose's mom."

Truthfully, it sounded fucking awesome, but one minor detail threw a wrench in the plan. "My girlfriend, Lauren, is coming to visit me this weekend. I wish I could though."

"Weak sauce excuse," Alice exclaimed, slamming her tiny fist on the tabletop. "Bring her along if you want, but you're coming with us."

I laughed nervously and chanced a sideways look at Bella who in turn looked oddly interested in her half of the sandwich. "Alright, I'll let her know."

"So, Bells, is Riley gonna come with us?" Rosalie's question was innocent enough, but for some reason Bella still cut her eyes to me quickly.

"Don't know. He's been getting on my nerves lately."

Rosalie snorted. "When _doesn't _he bug you? Honestly, I don't know why you stay with him. You don't even like him."

That got my attention. "Is Riley your boyfriend?"

This time, Emmett snorted. "Yeah, right. _Boyfriend_." He snorted again.

Bella glared at Emmett, and then turned to look at me. "I wouldn't call him my boyfriend per se. He's just…some guy that goes to school here."

Alice hopped up and leaned halfway across the table to whisper, "In fact, he's the one making googly eyes at Bella, sitting next to the girl with nasty curly hair." I followed her line of vision to see the aforementioned guy with a ton of hair gel and correctly diagnosed googly eyes.

I chuckled as I turned back to my food, secretly pleased that Bella seemed put out with his attention.

"God, I wish he would stop," she muttered under her breath.

I swallowed a bit of my sandwich. "Why would he? You're sort of hot."

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When I got home from school, my mother cornered me in the kitchen with a bright smile and excited eyes. "So, how was it?"

I smiled into my glass of water. "Surprisingly good."

She smiled and patted my cheek. "I'm glad, sweetheart. By the way, Lauren called the house and said to call her back."

Cue the chest tightening. In my preoccupation with my new "friends", I had forgotten to call my girlfriend last night and today. My newfound fascination with the ever beautiful Bella had clouded my need to work on my relationship. Some fucking boyfriend I was. I finished my drink and headed up to my room to call her.

"Hello?" It hadn't been that long since I'd seen or even talked to her, but Lauren's voice sounded different, less recognizable.

"Hey, Laur." I fought to keep my tone light in order to ward off an argument.

"Why haven't you called me?" I could detect the pout in her tone.

"I'm sorry. I've been getting unpacked and then Mom, Dad, and I went over to the neighbor's house last night." I conveniently left out the fact that the neighbors had a smoking hot daughter.

Lauren was never one to really fight with me so she let it go. "That's ok. I'm really excited to see you this weekend."

"Yeah, me too. But, um, here's the thing…I made some new friends at school and they're going to a music festival in Seattle this weekend. Does that maybe sound fun?" Please say yes, please say yes.

"Definitely. I'd love to meet your new friends."

We talked for a little while longer about her first day back at Forks High without me and how my friends were doing before we both got off for dinner. I sat down with my parents and relayed stories of my first day over spaghetti. They were both incredibly happy that I was already adjusting so well. After dinner, I showered and started homework before laying down with slow music on.

The rest of the week past by in a similar fashion. I enjoyed my classes, mostly because Bella was in two of them, and Emmett was in the rest. I was quickly becoming close to both of them, as well as the rest of the group in different ways - even Rosalie, who under her tough exterior enjoyed talking cars with me. Friday came fast and before I knew it, it was the end of the school day and we were all piling into Emmett's Jeep to go home.

I got a text from Lauren as we dropped Rose and Jasper off first.

_20 minutes away. I have a surprise for you ;)_

I smiled and typed back. _Can't wait_

Finally, Emmett pulled into my driveway and I hopped out.

"Come over around six," he told me.

"Actually, you mind if I hang out with you for a while?" Bella asked, her hand already pushing the car door open.

I shrugged, secretly elated. "Sure."

We walked into my house together and met my mother in the kitchen. She made us two sandwiches and asked us about school and our plans for the weekend. The hospital had given my father a week to settle in before he had to report as Chief, so he and my mother had rented a cabin on Lake Washington for their anniversary weekend.

Just as she asked what bands would be playing at Speed Street, the doorbell rang. I hopped off the barstool and Bella followed me to the front door. I opened it and attempted to reign in my shock over who stood there.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Bella's POV**

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	3. Sugar Me Sweet

**BELLA**

"Jake? What are you doing here, man?" Edward leaned forward and hugged the tan monster with a pat on the back. A blonde girl peeked out from behind him and said, "Surprise!"

And so we finally meet the girlfriend. To my extreme satisfaction, she was pretty in a mediocre kind of way and her body wasn't anything to write home about. She looked like the kind of girl who had a top drawer of white Granny panties. Suddenly, she caught sight of me and her once excited smile died out.

"Who's this?" Her voice was loud, yet meek. Clearly vulnerable and weak, someone to pushover.

"Uh, Laur, this is Bella. We go to school together. Bella, this is my girlfriend, Lauren, and my best friend, Jacob."

Lauren looked me up and down skeptically, taking in my designer clothes no doubt given the fact that she looked like she shopped at Wal-Mart for more than just food. Jacob just looked like he wanted to hump me. I wasn't sure who I was more put out with. Thankfully, as the tension rose and Edward couldn't be more stiff, Esme flitted to the door and killed the awkward atmosphere.

"Lauren, dear, how are you?" They proceeded to hug and then she moved on to Jacob. "Come in, come in."

We all walked inside the house and ended up in the kitchen, so I hoisted myself up on the counter next to the glass of white wine Esme had been working on prior to their arrival. I took a quick sip from the glass and then set it down which earned me a light tap on the wrist from Esme.

I grinned like a child who successfully stole cookies from the cookie jar as the light taste seeped into my tongue. "Sorry, Esme," I apologized with absolutely no regret in my voice. She smiled lovingly and placed a maternal kiss on my forehead. I took satisfaction in the fact that Lauren was equally confused and envious.

"I had no idea that Jacob was coming this weekend as well," Esme said, taking her wine glass in her hand.

Lauren smiled. "I wanted to surprise Edward." Her hand crawled its way toward his and they locked their fingers. I looked away.

"So, Mrs. C, what are you and Dr. C doing this weekend?" Jacob asked. "Partying with us?"

Esme laughed. "Oh, no. We're heading to the lake for the weekend for our anniversary. In fact," she looked down at her watch, "he should be home any minute and then we'll be on our way."

Suddenly my phone started ringing, so I took it into the adjoining dining room. "Hello?"

"Bu, bu, Bella, under my um-ber-Bella, Bella, eh, eh, eh."

I sighed and chuckled simultaneously. "Rihanna would be so proud."

"Seriously, is Eddie's girlfriend there yet? We need to start drinking."

I scoffed. "Yeah, little miss girlfriend brought one of Edward's friends from home as a surprise so we're up yet another person." Then an idea popped into my head. "Let's just get Felix to drive us in the Tahoe." Felix was my father's personal assistant - a.k.a. bitch boy who did anything and everything we asked of him. He'd been left behind for the weekend for the sole purpose of watching after Emmett and me.

"Sweet, I'll call him now. Now get over here!" And then he hung up. Emmett was ridiculously intelligent, but he was an oaf at simple things like having a phone conversation. I had a hard time grasping the fact that we had shared a womb sometimes.

I went back into the kitchen and found Carlisle wheeling a suitcase behind Esme toward the foyer.

"Be good this weekend," Esme said to Edward before hugging him. "And Bella," she addressed me. "Make sure you set your house alarm before you all go to bed. And no driving while drinking."

I smiled. "No worries. Felix will be driving us around this weekend."

She cocked her head to the side. "Who's Felix, honey?"

"My father's personal assistant."

"Okay, well be safe." She smiled and they left with goodbyes, leaving the four of us standing oddly in the foyer. I broke the silence by relaying my conversation with Emmett to Edward.

"I think he's already half toasted, but there's no telling with Em."

Edward chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.

"Who's Em?" Lauren asked, looking between us.

"Emmett's my twin brother. You'll meet him when we go over to my house. Go get your bag so we can go," I said, looking at Edward.

He nodded and bolted up the stairs. A few seconds past and I went to the bottom of the staircase, yelling up to him, "Oh and get my Calculus book. I shoved it in your bag this morning!"

"So, do you and Edward have any classes together?" Lauren asked from behind me, Jacob trailing close behind her.

"Yep. AP Calc and Italian."

"Hot _and _smart," Jacob commented with a grin. I snorted, looking away when Edward came galloping down the stairs with a small duffle bag and a thick math book.

"Let's go."

We headed out the door, stopping to retrieve Lauren and Jacob's things from her shitty white Honda, before continuing to walk down Edward's driveway.

"Wait, we aren't driving to your house?" Lauren asked in a huff, shooing away the fly that pestered her too-blonde mop of hair.

"Nah, I live right there," I pointed to my house.

"Holy shit, _that's _where you live? What the fuck do your parents do?" Jacob exclaimed in an obnoxious voice.

"So you live across the street?" Lauren stated the question in a quiet, accusing voice.

"Yeah, my mom's a freelance alcoholic and my dad is the senator."

Jacob ignored the joke. "Hold up, your dad is the fucking senator of Washington?"

I nodded, already frustrated with his buffoon ways. Jacob slapped Edward on the back, saying, "Well, Ed, looks like you've got some kickass new friends."

As we stepped up onto my porch, the front door swung open and I was quickly grabbed and thrown over Emmett's shoulder in a huff. Most of the breath knocked out of me so I couldn't even cuss him out as he introduced himself to Jacob and Lauren.

"Follow me, the festivities are in here," Emmett rumbled, keeping me firmly on his shoulder as he climbed the stairs to the second floor parlor. Jasper sat alone while Tupac rang out clearly from the iHome set up on the bar. He was quickly introduced and I was set down on my feet.

"Where are Rose and Alice?"

"In your closet."

I turned and jogged up to the third floor as fast as I could. Girlfriend was starting to piss me off with her staring problem. I needed a good hit from a joint and some trash talking with my best friends.

And disappoint they didn't.

"Bleach blonde? Fucking faker," Rose sneered while trailing her red fingertips through her natural light curls.

"And blue eyeshadow…wake up, this isn't 1984," Alice contributed in a high voice.

I giggled, taking the joint that was passed my way, careful not to drop any ash on my bedspread. We sat in a triangle of sorts with crossed legs. We were matching in three pairs of jeans shorts and baggy concert tees.

"And seriously, I don't think the chick has ever heard of braces," I said smugly, the jealousy seeping out of me as I shit-talked.

"I wanna see her! Let's go downstairs," Alice whined.

"Alright, alright, one more circle-around."

When we got back to the parlor, Alice skipped over to Jasper and he narrowed his eyes. "You guys smoked without us?"

I sighed and took the second joint out of my shorts pocked. "I have another. Toke up, buddy." Everyone took a hit, save for the girls and Jacob. Lauren looked completely terrified of the stuff and Jacob flat-out refused; I suppose fun was banned in Forks. When it got to Edward, he looked to Lauren for a quick second, silently wondering if she'd make a scene. She made a face but otherwise didn't comment.

"Did you call Felix yet?" I asked Emmett once the joint was but a bud.

"Yeah, he'll be here in fifteen. Go get some shoes on."

The car ride to the festival was short but eventful. I chose to sit in the passenger seat next to Felix while everyone else dispersed in the backseat. I didn't mind having to sit up front, because honestly, fucking with Felix was my forte.

"Have you ever frenched a dude?" I asked. Emmett chortled from behind me; he and I took turns at this game often. The game: make Felix as uncomfortable as possible.

Felix turned red in the face and muttered, "No, Bella."

"Would you consider it?" I prompted.

"No, Bella."

"Are you circumcised?"

"God, Bella!"

I touched his arm and put on a mockingly gentle voice. "It's okay if you aren't. This is a safe zone, we're all friends here."

"Inappropriate, Bella."

"Are you going to tell my dad?" I asked bluntly.

"No," Felix admitted quickly.

I shrugged. "My questions aren't _too _inappropriate then."

And this went on for fifteen minutes before he gratefully dropped us off and promised to be back at midnight. Speed Street was crowded with people, jammed ass to front in every space available, with huge stages and food and beer vendors at every corner. Alice immediately grabbed my and Rose's hands, pulling us in the direction of the rock stage. The rest of the group followed behind.

We bumped into a few kids from school on the way and they latched onto our group. The crowd for the rock stage was huge, overflowing into the side streets, even though the show didn't start for 20 more minutes. We pushed and shoved and shouted our way through and got in a pretty good spot to stand. Jessica, one of the assholes I went to school with, had made a good friend in Lauren while we waited. They happily chatted each other up without a care in the world; they _would _bond.

Suddenly a large hand touched my back. "Thanks for being cool with them coming," Edward whispered near my ear. I didn't need clarification to know he was speaking of Dumb and Dumber. Truthfully, Edward seemed sort of embarrassed by their presences.

"No problem. Hey, do you wanna get a funnel cake before the band starts?" My munchies were starting to kick in full-gear and by the hungry look in Edward's eyes, I could tell his was as well.

Without telling anyone where we were going, we weaved ourselves out of the crowd and bought one funnel cake to share. It was completely messy and we kept spilling sugar everywhere, but we managed to eat the entire thing in under five minutes. As I threw the paper plate away, I looked down at my fingers with a frown.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked and stopped walking.

"My fingers are all sugary and there aren't any napkins left," I pouted.

He shrugged. "Lick 'em."

"Ew, no!" I giggled.

He shrugged again. "Fine, I will." And suddenly, his warm mouth and full lips were on my fingers, his tongue swirling around my skin. He pulled off with a pop and grinned. Something behind me caught his attention and he stepped back. I turned and saw Lauren and Jessica coming toward us, Jessica looking obliviously happy and Lauren with a clenched smile.

"Hey, babe," she purred, placing a kiss on his neck. My skin prickled and I wanted to deck the bitch. "What are you guys doing over here?"

"Funnel cake," Edward explained.

"Ooh, I love funnel cakes, but I can't eat them because they make my ass huge," Jessica whined, pointing to her ass for emphasis.

I rolled my eyes. "Jessica, your ass is huge because of all the jizz you swallow. Don't blame the funnel cakes." I barely heard the twin gasps from the Bobbsey Bitches as I walked back into the sea of people.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Lauren's POV of this chapter**

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	4. Wind of Change

**Alright, this one is a short one, but I wanted to introduce Bella's relationship with her gran without having other events take away from it. **

**Also, a couple of people have brought to my attention that the alternate POVs are being cut off when I send them. If that's the case, just let me know and I'll re-send them. Or if you'd rather I e-mail them, message me your e-mail address. Don't forgot to put (dot) in place of real periods or it won't show up. ****Enjoy!**

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**BELLA**

The night stars glittered against the abyss of the sky, creating an ethereal ceiling to the rocking bass and soulful lyrics of the band on stage. My hips swayed slowly in a hypnotic state of rhythm, feeling my way through the sound of slow rock. I danced, flanked by Rosalie and Alice, with the rest of the group standing around us in a semi-circle.

The whole funnel cake incident the day before left me with mixed feelings about Edward. The most prominent was want. But the other emotions nagged me incessantly. First of all, I was fucking confused by his behavior because his pain-in-the-ass girlfriend was not so far away. But then again, his lack of inhibition could have been a result of the mixture of alcohol and weed. Either way, I couldn't stop focusing on Edward's lips whenever I looked at him…and well, Lauren was still a fucking pain in my ass.

We stayed at Speed Street until one in the morning and then called Felix to come pick us up. Everyone but Emmett and me fell asleep on the car ride home, leaving us with the horrible duty of waking some asses up.

When we finally got all the couples situated into their room, and Jacob in his own far, far away from me, I went up to the third floor and lay in my bed. The thick down comforter cocooned around me and made me feel safe, like I was nine years old all over again and my parents were fighting. This bed had held me through some pretty emotional times over the years - times that I didn't really let anyone witness. I didn't like to let too much emotion show. I was a strong person and that's the way I liked to have people perceive me. There was no room for weakness.

Call it a twin thing, but Emmett was really the only person I let see through my bullshit façade. He knew me inside and out, knew all my downfalls and buttons. Despite his raucous behavior, Emmett was a very sensitive person and always had kind, encouraging words to offer me. I loved him more than anything or anyone in the world, including my parents.

My mind eventually numbed and blurred as memories of Emmett and me as children washed over me.

The next morning rolled around with a dreary sky made of a grey pallor and angry clouds. Alice and Jasper were the first to leave, opting to go to church with her father. Rosalie nursed a wicked hangover in Emmett's room, and I said goodbye to Edward and his guests. Jacob pulled me into an uninvited hug and Lauren merely forced a smile on her face. Edward quietly said he'd see me tomorrow and they left.

I moped around the house, bored with no prospects of fun. My father was still in D.C. for business, and Mom was still out lollygagging in Palm Springs. Then suddenly, my mind perked up. I picked up my phone, dialed, and a 'Hello?' was given on the third ring.

* * *

"Bee Bee, it just sounds like this girl is insecure. Honestly, look at you," my grandmother gestured up and down my body. "That was eventually harvested from my DNA, and honey," she leaned closer for emphasis, "I was one smoking hot broad in my day."

I chuckled, missing the way it felt to spend time with her. Gran lived about a half hour away in Seattle in an uppity country club. It had been a few weeks since I'd visited her, so when the idea popped into my head, I acted on it. She was always guaranteed to be a good time. Her presence and words were soothing and instantly made me feel better. She always knew exactly what to say. I credited her for my dad being so calming; it must have been genetic.

"You should never, ever chase after a boy, Isabella," she informed, using my real name for seriousness. "Always be the stronger one, the one being chased. And _never _let another girl make you feel inferior to her, understand?"

I nodded, taking in what she was telling me.

"You are beautiful, intelligent, and one of the strongest people I know, sweetie. You have nothing to be jealous of," she said, winking at me. She took another sip of her mimosa, and then her tone switched. "Anyways, have you given any more thought to my offer?"

I looked down at my lap. Both Gran and my father were alumni of Brown University, and Gran had offered to get me early acceptance with her connections. My grades and extracurriculars were exceptional as well. However, I had a few universities in mind besides Brown: namely, Princeton, Cornell, even NYU. I just wasn't sure what I wanted yet.

"I haven't decided yet, Gran. But when I do, you'll be the first to know.

She smiled at me over the rim of her champagne glass, leaning back when the server brought her chicken salad. "That's fine, dear. Just let me know. So anyways, how is that tart mother of yours?"

I laughed. "She's flying back from Palm Springs tomorrow." Despite my mother and father's solid marriage of almost 15 years, Gran had never warmed up to the idea of her. I had a secret feeling that no one would have been good enough for her little boy.

Gran scoffed. "What a mother to leave her child behind while she bakes in the Californian sun. California is the land of heathens, you know."

I smiled as I began to eat my own salad. I learned something new every time I visited Gran.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Edward's POV (and what he thought of Bella's sugary fingers)**

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	5. Home Sweet Home

**A big thank you to Mid Night-Cougar, Mary Kitty Masen, and Remmy Kins for recommending/hyping this story so hard on Facebook! :)**** and another huge thank you to original readers of the first Wicked Little Girls who came back and reviewed again…**

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**EDWARD**

"What'd you get for number four?" I asked, leaning over to look at her paper.

Bella playfully snatched it away from my view, holding it hostage behind her back. "What will you give me for the answer?"

I chuckled. "What do you want?"

She tapped her chin in mock thought before grinning wickedly. "I get to drive your badass car to school tomorrow."

"Hmm, you drive a hard bargain, but you've got a deal. Now give me your paper." She willingly handed it over and I copied down her work and answer.

Just as I gave her homework back, my phone rang from Bella's nightstand. I reached over and grabbed it before answering.

"Hi, sweetheart," my mom greeted me, "what are you doing?"

"Homework at Bella's."

"Oh, well dinner will be ready in thirty minutes. Invite Bella, and Emmett as well if he's there." Over the weeks, Bella and Emmett had earned their own spots in my mother's heart. She viewed them as surrogate children and treated them as such given that their father was away a lot for work and their mom just seemed sort of whimsically negligent.

"Alright, see you soon." I ended the call and began to gather up my books.

"Where are you going?" Bella asked with a furrowed brow and a frown as her cowl, looking adorable halfway bundled up in her fluffy white comforter.

"Dinner's almost ready. Mom said you're invited."

Bella's face lit up and she threw the blanket off her body and got up from her bed. I had a sneaking suspicion she ate up the maternal attention my mom paid her, which if I actually thought about it was sort of sad. Bella was at my house after school more often than not. Once my things were stuffed inside my book bag, we walked down the stairs.

"Is Emmett still at football practice?" I asked as we passed his room.

"Yeah," she replied, "he told me after school he'd give you a call when he got home."

I nodded and we walked over to my house. As soon as the front door opened, I was accosted by the smell of roasted garlic and simmer tomatoes. My mother was busy stirring pasta while my father threw together a salad. Bella walked right up to my mom, giving her waist a squeeze, then hugged my dad after. My dad hopelessly adored the Swan twins just as much as my mom.

"How was school today?" My dad asked while throwing croutons into the lettuce.

I shrugged. "It was alright. I might join the football team."

My mother smiled brightly over at me. "Really, honey? But haven't tryouts already past?"

"Yeah, but Emmett's going to talk to the coach for me today. Apparently the new quarterback isn't very good."

"Well, I think that would be great, sweetie."

When dinner was ready, Bella and I helped set up the table, and we all sat down to eat. Conversation flowed easily, and everything was comfortable.

"So, Bella, I know it's only junior year, but are you interested in any colleges yet?" My father asked.

Bella took a sip of her water before answering. "Yes, actually. I've been looking at a few, but my grandmother is dead set on Brown."

"Wow, Ivy League," my mother commented, impressed. "Edward's interested in schools up north as well."

"Yeah, well both my dad and Gran are alumni so it makes sense for me to follow in their footsteps I suppose."

"What are you hoping to do?" My father questioned.

Bella shrugged. "I'm not quite sure yet. I've applied for an internship in Italy next summer though."

"What type of internship is it?" My mother asked.

"Well, I would basically be doing some shadowing and lackey work for a lit professor at the university in Rome."

"That's really great, honey," my mother said with a genuine smile. "So I hear your and Emmett's birthday is coming up. Are you doing anything special?"

Bella shrugged. "I'm not sure. Alice wants to throw us a birthday party, so I'm sure she'll get her way on that, but other than that we have nothing planned."

"You aren't going to dinner or anything with your parents?"

Bella then looked down to her plate. "Probably not. My dad's flying in for the day but he has to go back that night so we'll probably skip school and spend time with him. As for my mom, she'll be flying back with him to Washington."

"Well that just won't do," my mom protested, taken aback. "What day is it?"

"In two weeks on that Thursday."

"Then that Thursday, we're taking you and Emmett out to eat for your birthday."

"No, Esme, really, you don't need to go through that trouble-."

"Hush, dear, we're doing this."

"Thank you." Bella resumed eating, her face void of emotion.

The rest of dinner went by quickly, and sooner than I wanted, I was walking Bella home. The walk was comfortably quiet, with the air slightly cool and swaying around us. We got to her porch and instead of walking inside the house, Bella sat in one of the many chairs that adorned the front. I sat in the adjoining chair.

"I had a nice time at dinner," she said.

I smiled. "My parents really like you."

She chuckled. "I really like them." Then her voice dropped down as if she was worried someone might hear her besides me. "It's nice that your parents are there for you all the time."

I placed my hand over her clenched fist. "You're always welcome at my house, you know that right?"

"Thanks, Edward. It gets kind of lonely over here sometimes," she admitted, tilting her face up to the tremendous house. "Dad's always gone and Mom's always out of town with her friends. And Em, well obviously he has sports and Rose. I love my brother and my friends to death, but it used to be hard trying to spend individual time with them because they were coupled up, y'know?"

I nodded. "I can imagine." I wanted to urge her to continue because I had never heard Bella express so much…emotion before, but I had to be careful. It was almost like trying to lure a timid animal out of the forest. I needed to be cautious.

"That's why I'm glad you fit into our group so well. I'm not alone so much anymore. You really are a good friend, Edward."

"I'm glad I can be there for you, Bella."

She smiled bigger and got up to kiss my cheek, then went to unlock her front door. I began walking away and down the front steps, but her voice stopped me.

"Don't forget I get to drive your badass car in the morning."

* * *

**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Bella's POV**

**Also a note to trekgeezer, I tried to send you the last POV, but your private messaging is disabled**

**ENABLE PRIVATE MESSAGING**


	6. Seventeen

**This is extremely short, and wasn't in the original Wicked Little Girls, but I felt like adding it in there.**

* * *

**BELLA**

"It's my birthday, it's my birthday, I'm seventeen," Emmett sang, as he pranced out of the school exit.

"It's _our _birthday, doofus," I corrected him. Although our plan was to skip school in order to spend the day with our parents, that didn't work out so well. My father had an urgent meeting in Washington that he couldn't reschedule and my mother had flown out early to be by his side. I wouldn't admit it, but I was excited for our dinner later that night with Edward's family.

Alice had dragged my sorry ass out of bed that morning and forced me to get dressed for school. To match my sour attitude, she'd put me in tight black jeans and a leather jacket. I was thankful for her choice when I caught Edward more than once during the day staring at me.

It had been two weeks since my dinner at Edward's house, and subsequently two weeks of football practice for Edward. He'd replaced the quarterback, and according to Emmett, blended flawlessly with his natural talent and power. Tomorrow, Friday, was the first game of the season.

"See you later, Em!" I shouted as I ran past his Jeep and toward the gorgeous boy leaning against his Camaro, waiting for me.

"Hey, birthday girl," he said as a greeting, reaching out to tug on my leather jacket. "Ready?"

I nodded, saying before I could stop myself, "Let's go home."

* * *

"I wish I was a hippie."

Edward laughed at me, adjusting his position on my bed. "Did you smoke something while I was in the bathroom?"

I snorted. "No. Just think about it…to have been able to wear those awesome clothes and to _see and hear _Led Zeppelin live."

Edward got up from my bed, going toward my iHome. "You want Led Zeppelin live?" His fingers scrolled through until Black Dog came on. "I'll _give _you Robert Plant."

With a surprising pitch, he sang along to the words of the Zeppelin song, not all that bad. He even unbuttoned his shirt a few buttons so as to really "give me the feel of Robert Plant". He did crazy dance moves that made my smile hurt, and jumped around like an idiot to make me laugh.

When the song was through, he collapse back on the bed, heaving from his effort.

"That was just awesome," I laughed out loud, clapping my hands.

"Thank you very much, Woodstock!"

I smiled. "You can be my Robert Plant."

He propped himself up on his elbow. "Who will you be then?"

I thought for a moment. "Jimmy Page. I'll be the Page to your Plant."

He grinned, all gorgeous and charming. "You got it, Jimmy."

"Thanks for making this day less sucky."

He smiled over at me. "My pleasure. I enjoy spending time with you."

My heart swelled in a foreign way. "Me, too." It was silent for a moment before I spoke again. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Does Lauren know we hang out?"

Edward turned his gaze from the ceiling to me. "I've told her we've hung out after school a few times."

"And how does she feel about that?" I asked with genuine curiosity.

He looked back to the ceiling. "She hates it."

For some reason, his answer made me smile.

* * *

"Emmett, slow down," I admonished.

His mouth was huge, but couldn't possibly fit the chaos of filet mignon and potatoes he'd shoveled in there. He smiled sheepishly at Esme and Carlisle, and swallowed with a gulp.

"Thank you guys for tonight," he said in a rare serious moment. "Bella and I appreciate it."

Esme placed her hand over his. "It's our pleasure, dear. It's the least we could do with your parents out of town."

Emmett smile gratefully and downed the rest of his steak. "So, Eddie, you nervous about tomorrow?"

Edward chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, I'm ready. I'm excited actually."

"Are you guys going, Esme?" I asked, looking at both her and Carlisle.

She nodded. "Yes, we are. You can ride with us if you'd like."

"Oh, well Alice and Rose wanted to all go together, but thank you."

"Nonsense, invite them as well. Lord knows the Escalade is big enough for us and you three tiny girls."

"Alright, I'll let them know. Thank you."

"Are you gonna root for me?" Edward asked teasingly.

Emmett butted in. "No way, she's my twin, she has to root for me!"

"You have Rose to root for you, butt hole, plus Ali…why should you get three?" I asked.

"Because I'm triple awesome, of course," Emmett replied.

I shook my head in amused exasperation as everyone else laughed. We all shared a small ice cream cake the restaurant brought out in celebration of our joint birthday, and then we headed home. We thanked Esme and Carlisle when they dropped us off, and just as Emmett ran inside, Edward wrapped me in a hug.

"Happy birthday, Bella."

I inhaled, smiling. "Thank you."

"I'll see you tomorrow at school."

I chuckled, his comment reminding me of the end of our first time hanging out. "Tomorrow," I promised.

* * *

**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Esme's POV**


	7. Zombie Nation

**I highly recommend listening to "Zombie Nation" by Kernkraft 400 around the 0:35 second mark later on in the chapter to get pumped up ;)**

* * *

**BELLA**

"No…hell no…Alice, seriously, what the fuck?"

Alice giggled and tossed the neon mesh shirt at my face. I sighed and collapsed back onto her bed, eyeing the weird shirt warily. It looked odd against the pink plush of Alice's bedspread.

"Ali, why do you even _have _that in your closet?" I picked it up between the very tips of my index finger and thumb, holding it carefully away from my body. "It looks like something a 43-year old queen would wear out to disco night."

She shrugged and came back out with another handful of prospective clothes. We'd been working through the Narnia that was her walk-in closet for an hour and a half, and either she or I had vetoed every piece. Rose had disappeared somewhere along the line of 45 minutes ago. I couldn't blame her. If we weren't choosing an outfit for _my _birthday party tonight, I'd have been long gone as well.

Tonight was also the first football game for Ivy Ridge Prep. Edward had been practicing with the team every day after school for the past two weeks, and I'd heard from several people that he was pretty damn good. We were playing a nearby Seattle public school that was infamous for its crappy athletics, so it was a sure win which meant good moods all around.

My and Emmett's birthday soiree was the "after party". It was being held in Alice's gigantic basement where the wet bar and deejay booth were located, and thankfully her parents had made themselves scarce for the occasion. Everyone at school had been invited.

Finally, another half hour later, Alice and I agreed on an outfit of black leather leggings I'd leant to her a few weeks back and a grey off-the-shoulder top with black heels to change into after the game for the party. Alice quickly changed into a pair of jeans and one of our school shirts and we hurried down the stairs, hustling Rose up from the couch, before going over to Edward's house.

As we walked down the street toward Edward's, I was very thankful Esme had offered us a ride to the game. Alice, Rose, and I had been sporadically taking 'birthday shots' while going through clothes. It was nice just to be with my best friends again, being able to have 'girl talk' and just doing ridiculous girly shit. We three walked with linked arms down our development, giggling and excited for the game. Football was a big deal for our school, being that we were nationally ranked, and the turnout was always tremendous.

Suddenly, Alice stopped walking and Rose and I were yanked back by our connected limbs.

"Ow, Ali," Rose complained, rubbing her elbow with her free hand.

"Sorry, but I just had a great idea!" Alice opened up her purse and dug through it for a few moments before producing a little black eyeliner pen. "We can write the boys' numbers on our cheeks!"

We agreed excitedly and I quickly wrote #72 on both Rose and Alice's cheeks, and with matching secretive grins, Rose watched while Alice put Edward's number - 13 - on the apple of mine. After we double-checked the numbers were written correctly and not sloppily given the state of our semi-inebriation, we continued on our way to Edward's.

When we got there, I walked right in without knocking per Esme's request for the foreseeable future. The inside of the Cullen home was warm, a nice contrast to the chilly wind that blew outside, and smelled of spicy apples and vanilla. It smelled like a home should.

Carlisle walked out of a room down the hall looking handsome in a burgundy sweater and black scarf, decked in the Ivy Ridge school colors.

"Hello, girls. You all look lovely."

My cheeks grew warm with the compliment. Carlisle had come to feel like a stand-in father of sorts over the past few weeks and it was nice to have a figure like that regularly again. Esme came out soon after and 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over the number on our cheeks, paying particular interest in mine. My mind couldn't stay focused on the gleam in her eye though because of my fast-growing drunkenness. Esme forced all three of us to ingest peanut butter sandwiches before we left in order to soak up some of the alcohol.

Just as we were filing into the garage, Esme's cell phone rang. Rose, Alice, and I filled up the backseat, while Carlisle and Esme got into the front. We pulled out of the driveway and it was hard _not _to overhear her conversation.

"Yes, you should see a sign for the school near the post office. It will say 'Ivy Ridge Preparatory'." The person on the other end said something and Esme began to speak again. "Okay, dear. You can call me again if you get lost." More silence. "See you soon. Goodbye."

Esme ended the phone call and locked hands with Carlisle. I looked to Alice, seeing she was just about to burst as I was, in wonder of who was on the phone. Just as I thought Alice might actually explode with curiosity, Carlisle read our minds and asked who had been on the phone.

"Oh, that was Lauren. Remember when she called last night?" She asked. He nodded. "Yes, well she expressed interest in coming to see Edward play. She's coming tonight, but it's a surprise so Edward doesn't know."

I could feel my spine slump and my head wilted onto Alice's shoulder. Rose rubbed my hand soothingly while Alice wrapped her arm around me. In that moment, I felt like breaking down and crying. Not because Lauren was coming, I was more irritated about that news, but because Rose and Alice were the absolute best friends in the entire world. I had never outright expressed that I was attracted to Edward, but here they were, comforting me without needing to ask or have me tell why.

And when I was down, they knew exactly how to perk me up.

"Just think," Rose whispered near my ear, loud enough for both me and Alice to hear, but low enough that Carlisle and Esme would be none the wise, "when Lauren gets there, she'll see _his _number on _your _face." I smiled. Damn, I loved my best friends.

That stadium was jam-packed with students, parents, and teachers alike, crowded in a sea of burgundy and black in the stands. The cheerleaders took turns tumbling out on the field, practicing for their introducing of the players.

Somehow, we managed to snag a few hot chocolates _and _find excellent seats in the dead center close to the team's benches. A few minutes after being there, Jasper came to sit behind us, bringing with him one of our friends, Angela, and her sweet boyfriend, Ben. We introduced them to Esme and Carlisle just before the blonde devil appeared.

She looked out of her element in a bright pink sweater and jeans, walking stiffly down the aluminum walkway, searching the crowd. Esme waved her hand and called out Lauren's name, prompting her to walk our way. She smiled hesitantly at both of Edward's parents but it faltered when she saw me. I could feel her eyes zero in on the number that adorned my cheek. Her aggravation was palpable, but she managed to push it down in order to greet Esme and Carlisle properly. Fortunately, she took a seat beside of them, far away from me and my eye line.

When "Zombie Nation" began playing, an electric current buzzed beneath my skin, leaving me suddenly ridden with anticipation to the high-speed techno beat. Our hoard of players clad in crimson uniforms emerged from the field house, starting out slow but picked up their pace to viciously tear through the cheerleaders' game banner, running to our crowd's deep encouraging cheers all the way to the benches.

I searched for the tall, lean form of Edward and was pleased to see his ass looked even more delectable in his tight burgundy pants that I had imagined. While the opposing team came out in a less theatrical style, Edward removed his helmet as the coach began speaking to him and another junior, Eric. And then, as if he could feel my gaze, his eyes flicked over to me and stayed there. With no hesitation, he smiled a breathtaking smile at me; to equal parts make him happy and to piss off Lauren, I turned my painted cheek and pointed.

His reaction didn't disappoint, and I was satisfied to hear a gasp from somewhere to my right. Before he could get in trouble for ignoring the coach, Edward winked and diverted his attention. I was on Cloud 9.

I didn't get Edward's attention for the entirety of the game, and by extenuating circumstances, neither did Lauren. During halftime, she stormed away in an upset huff, leaving Esme to run after her. Carlisle just reached over to squeeze my shoulder sympathetically, and then started talking to a colleague from the hospital.

The last half of the game flew by quickly, and as predicted we won in a landslide - 37-6. We all waited by the fence for Emmett and Edward; during our wait, most of the people I was acquainted with from school came up, confirming directions for the party, details of time, what to bring, etc.

"You're having a birthday party?" Lauren asked. I hadn't even realized she was so close to me, given I was really only aware of Rose and Alice cuddled up to me in the cold.

"Yep, Emmett and I are."

Before she could reply, the players were released from the field house. Emmett was easy to spot, and by association, Edward. Rose gracefully ran to them and jumped into Emmett's waiting arms. I chuckled at seeing Edward narrowly missing a collision with one of Rose's amazon legs.

He saw his mother and father first, then me, then…Lauren. His footsteps faltered and his eyes widened, but he kept walking toward us.

"Lauren, what are you doing here?" His voice was slightly shaky and he gave her a half-assed hug. I could smell the body wash that wafted in the air, evidence that he showered. His hair stood on end and just made my want to pull on it.

"I wanted to see my _boyfriend _play his first game." Her eyes cut to me on the word 'boyfriend', giving me fair warning of who Edward really belonged to at the end of the day.

Sensing my irritation, Alice grabbed my hand and announced we would be at the car. I squeezed it gratefully and we walked silently back to the SUV…that is, until we got there.

"Motherfuck, she is such a bitch!" I quiet-shouted, causing puffs of angry smoke to escape my mouth. The cold bit my skin and I cursed the taunting number on my cheek. Who the fuck was I kidding? Edward wasn't mine.

"Bells, can't you see? She is _jealous _of you," Alice said, rubbing my back.

"Pfft. Did you hear the way she said _boyfriend_? She might as well have pissed on him. Seriously, she doesn't go to our school. Why is she even here?"

"Bella," Alice said forcefully, grabbing my chin as well. "You are an intelligent, beautiful, witty girl that goes to school with her boyfriend, and spends time with him every day. Don't forget who the real winner is here."

I snorted. "Yeah, but at the end of the day, out of the two of us, who can say he's theirs?"

"Oh, Bee Bee." Alice's little arms wrapped around me in a fierce hug. "You know that you can trust me, right?"

I nodded into her shoulder, hating the way I was showing weakness, but loving I could both literally and figuratively lean on Alice.

"Then trust me when I say that girl won't be in the picture much longer."

* * *

**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Lauren's POV**


	8. Dazed and Confused

**Just so you know, I've been nominated for a story of the week so I'd love it if you wanted to vote for me. If you feel I deserve it, you can go here: tehlemonadestand(dot)net **

**And the 'the' is supposed to be spelled like 'teh' just so you wouldn't think I made a typo :P**

* * *

**EDWARD**

"Good freaking Lord," I heard Lauren mutter from my right. Her face was tipped up in awe at the monstrosity that was the Brandon household. Granted, it wasn't as big as Bella's house, but it was still huge with two stories and an underground basement.

"What?" I asked needlessly as I pushed through the congested front door, weaving in and out of the thick mass of people. One of my fellow players, Eric, nodded to me, tossing a confused look at Lauren.

"Is it a requirement to be filthy rich in order to go to your school?" She questioned back snippily. I ignored the snarky tone, and allowed her to place her hand through mine.

The foyer was full of people handling red solo cups and cigarettes, most of whom greeted me as I walked through. I had finally found my niche at school, as a part of Bella's social group, and it felt good. Not even in Forks with people I had literally grown up with had I ever felt so comfortable and just fit in. Even Emmett and Jasper I considered closer friends than Jacob whom I'd known since preschool.

As I walked deeper into the mansion, I found myself in the kitchen which housed a rousing spectatorship of Rose horizontal on the island counter with her shirt pulled up; Emmett hovered beside her with a lime in his mouth. Her abdomen was damp with tequila and Alice stood over, chanting lyrics to whatever song played in the background.

When Emmett saw me, he spit the lime out and yelled at the very top of his voice, "Eddie!" Just from his tone, I could tell he was plastered. I welcomed the too-tight bear hug from him, and accepted the black shot glass of bronze liquid. Lauren refused, so I shrugged and threw both back.

"Oh!" I said, remembering my presents for Emmett and Bella. I pulled one of the envelopes out of my back pocket and handed it to him. "Happy birthday."

He grinned widely, and kissed Rose on the cheek as she snaked her arms around his neck from behind. She winked at me as he tore open the flimsy envelope; we had been in cahoots as to what to get him for his birthday. When he pulled out the ticket, his mouth dropped open and his wide dark eyes flicked up.

"Foo Fighters? Dude!" His huge arms wrapped around me once again in the tightest fucking hug in history. "I think I fucking love you, Ed!"

I chuckled, pulling away. "I got one for Bella, too," I said, waving the second envelope with Bella's name on it around. "She said they were your favorite band."

"Dude," he said seriously, making me wonder if he was actually drunk or just rowdy before. "I don't even know-." His words were cut off once more by a man hug.

"Okay, okay, get a room," the beautiful voice I'd come to adore over my time here said. Bella came into view with a mischievous smirk, reminding me of our first time hanging out, and my jaw almost popped out of place. Granted, Bella looked attractive in anything she wore, but _this_…? Her long legs were wrapped in tight black leather pants, and a loose shirt hung off and exposed one of her slender shoulders; her hair was fucking messy in the sexiest way, and her makeup was smoky and dark.

Before I could lick her face or get junk-punched by my girlfriend who stood not even one foot away, I handed the other envelope to Bella with a 'happy birthday'. She opened it in much the same fashion as Emmett - wildly with no regard for the well-being of the envelope - and she smiled so big her perfect white teeth showed.

"Fucking sweet!" She shouted - like twin brother, like twin sister - and Lauren cringed. Lauren wasn't big into expletives, having been raised in a strict household. It was actually one of the original things that made me first like her; nowadays, sailor mouths were my kind of thing. "God, Edward, this is so nice." Bella stepped forward and I willingly folded into her hug even though it was brief.

Emmett stole Bella's attention soon, showing off his ticket. Lauren stepped away to grab a can of Coke from the massive fridge, and Alice took that opportunity to flit up to me. Her grin was innocent.

"Is there a third ticket somewhere?"

I smiled, looking down at my shoes. "Perhaps. And maybe a fourth, fifth, and sixth," I added quietly. Alice had become a good friend to me, progressively hinting with barely veiled subtlety that I was good for Bella. So Rose had bought a ticket, as well as Alice and Jasper, so we could all go to the concert together.

She hugged me quick and dashed over to Emmett and Bella to reveal the news. I walked over just as they had learned of it. They were all excited. Lauren came back with a red can and a smile, sporting her new friend, Jessica.

"Hey, guys. Happy birthday, Bella. Emmett." Despite the fact that Bella had openly said a horrible thing to Jessica's face, she continued to brownnose and suck up to Bella, following her around at lunch and complimenting her every chance she got. In a way, I felt bad for the girl, but in reality she brought it on herself by subjecting her time and attention to Bella who was clear in her dislike for Jessica.

"Come on, let's go down to the basement," Alice said. "We have a bar and beer pong down there."

Just as the rest of the house, Alice's basement was impeccable, with a fully-stocked bar, deejay booth, and a few plasma screens mounted on the walls. A long table served for beer pong in the very center of the room. Alice cleared away whatever game was in progress, and set up a completely new one.

"Alrighty, it's me and Bella against…" Alice looked at Emmett and Rose who were deep in a makeout session, and turned to me. "You and Lauren."

"Oh, no, I don't drink," Lauren announced, earning odd looks from everyone in a five-foot radius.

"_Okay _then, Edward and Jazz!"

Jasper walked up and we fixed our triangle of cups. The game was intense as Alice and Bella were actually quite good, almost better than Jasper and me, which was embarrassing considering we played baseball. Lauren sat on one of the couches that was in the basement, fully in a conversation with Jessica, who talked with wildly gesturing hands and a shit ton of eye rolls.

We ended up winning the game, but Alice and Bella really didn't care. They were too focused on our soon-to-be trip to see the Foo Fighters.

"Truth or dare everyone!" Alice shouted at the top of her lungs, breaking Emmett and Rose apart from their kissing. There were shouts of excitement and the beer pong table was pushed aside in order for a circle of people to be formed.

"Alright, Bella, since you're the birthday girl, you can go first."

"Edward," Bella said quickly.

I looked at Bella questioningly.

Her eyebrows quickly in mischief. "Truth or dare?"

My heart thumped in anticipation. "Truth?" My voice squeaked embarrassingly.

"What did you think about the last time you jerked off? And remember, honesty is the policy for this game. I have an excellent bullshit detector."

A few guys groaned in sympathy for me and I suddenly felt very nervous and vulnerable. I thought back to the last time I'd masturbated; it was last night, right after Bella's birthday dinner. She'd looked so hot in the leather jacket that it was all I thought about the entire day. I was brought back to reality by Bella crossing her leather-clad legs and without filtering, I blurted out, "Leather."

Emmett, Jasper, and several other guys muttered appreciatively and Lauren smiled dreamily at me. If either Emmett or Lauren knew who had been _wearing _the leather, I doubt they'd be so encouraging.

Since it was my turn, I picked Jasper. He confidently replied 'dare' so I went all out to embarrass him.

"I dare you to do a striptease to Hot in Here by Nelly." By the time I was done with my sentence, Alice had already located and started said song on the stereo.

Apparently he had no shame because Jasper didn't even argue, putting down his beer and strutting over to Alice. For a humiliating three minutes, Jasper grinded and gyrated to the sync of the song and the cheers from the circle, randomly taking off and chucking pieces of clothing at unsuspecting people. When the song finally ended, he was clothed only in some boxers with clovers on them. Everyone clapped for his performance while he searched for his clothes and redressed. When he finally sat down, he looked around for the next person.

"Jessica." Jessica perked up from beside Lauren, so obviously happy to be addressed. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare!" She shouted eagerly.

Jasper smirked. "I dare you to make out with Lauren for a full minute." Lauren stiffened beside me, apparently not thinking she would get sucked into the fun. Her nails dug into my arm and her wide eyes shot to Jasper.

As if she could sense Lauren was about to talk her way out of the dare, Alice butted in. "No backing out of a dare or you have to chug a beer. Those are the rules."

Faced with the prospect of kissing a girl or chugging warm beer, Lauren chose Jessica. They kissed tentatively - due to Lauren's willingness - and while others cheered, it didn't do much for me. It was like watching my sister participating in semi-lesbianic activities…y'know if I had a sister. When the minute was up, Lauren gratefully sunk into my side as if that would keep her from being roped into anymore dares.

"My turn now!" Jessica yelled, causing me to wince. You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know who she was going to pick. "Bella!" Even though Bella had already gone, I had a feeling no one could deter Jessica from asking her.

Bella answered before Jessica could ask. "Eh, I'll go truth."

Jessica deflated but continued with vomit-inducing cheeriness. "Alright then, if you could have sex with anyone in the world, who would it be?"

The room grew quiet in wait, and then, Bella's chocolate eyes were on me. Her eyebrows rose and she smirked, her tongue reaching out to wet her plump bottom lip before biting down on it. I felt by breath hitch and my heart double pump. My lips drooped and good Lord, I wanted to kiss her right then and there.

She shrugged her shoulders, nonchalantly taking a sip from her cup. "Robert Plant." Everyone looked confused. I stared into Bella's eyes, wondering if she was just using her nickname for me as a joke or if she actually wanted me that way.

"The singer from Led Zeppelin?" Jessica asked in a screechy voice. I was shocked she even knew who he was and from the look on Bella's face, so did she. Bella nodded and Jessica scrunched her face. "Ew, he's old. That's so wrong." Little did she know, Robert Plant wasn't who Bella was referring to…

Bella snorted. "No. Wrong are the things I want to do to him." Her eyes flicked up to me and my cheeks warmed.

Fortunately the game moved on before anyone could notice my reaction. A few more hours of fun and drinking later, the party wound down. The majority of the early party-dwellers had gone home or passed out in any free space they could find. Emmett and Rosalie had completely disappeared to which I didn't even _want _to know, and Jasper was chilled out with a joint and "The Breakfast Club" playing in the living room. Lauren had been whining to leave for a solid fifteen minutes, just after her little friend had abandoned her to go suck off a freshman, so I announced our departure to Alice and Bella.

They both hugged me, Bella's lingering a bit longer and held a big tighter, and Lauren and I walked out to the car. Since I planned on drinking and she obviously didn't, she drove her car to the party. She drove us to my house in silence and parked in the driveway, not getting out. I unbuckled my seatbelt and looked at her.

"Are you staying the night?" I asked, noting the way she made no move to remove her seatbelt or open her door.

Without warning, she pulled me by the shoulders and crushed her lips to mine. I had almost forgotten her fetish with lip gloss, and the product stuck to my skin, smearing all over my upper lip. Her tongue was coated in a strong peppermint taste from her gum and she pushed it forcefully in and out of my mouth. After a few more moments of what I would deem 'tongue-raping', she released me with panting breaths.

"Wow," she breathed, her chest heaving.

"Yeah, wow," I muttered, completely taken aback and feeling just so violated. And then suddenly, shame and guilt filled me because I wasn't thinking about the light-haired girl that sat next to me, but a dark beauty with soulful eyes and a colorful language. I was ashamed; I was thinking of another - albeit fucking gorgeous - girl while my girlfriend attempted to win my affection by forcing her tongue in my mouth.

I was the shittiest boyfriend in the universe, and I had been treating Lauren like crap the past few weeks. The remorse that flooded through me, coupled with the alcohol, was what caused me to lean forward again.

We fumbled around for a good fifteen minutes, but I felt nothing.

"I'm just too drunk, Laur." Psh, how about you're just the wrong girl.

She smiled sympathetically and straightened up her clothes.

"You can stay the night," I offered.

"Nah," she replied. "I have to help my mom set up in the morning for the dinner at church on Sunday, so I'd better get home."

"But it's a two hour drive," I protested for some reason.

"I can make it in an hour and a half if I speed," she placated me, pecking my lips once. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She drove away and I went up to my dark room alone. I tossed and turned for a while, never getting comfortable. A vibration on my bed brought my attention to my ringing phone. I searched through the tangle of sheets and my blanket for the damn thing and answered it on the sixth ring without checking the caller ID.

"What's up, Robert?"

I chuckled. "Nothing, Jimmy. What about you?"

Bella laughed and sighed. "Are you alone?" Her tone was hopeful and for all the shame in the world, I was ecstatic that Lauren had decided to go home.

"Yep."

"Can I come over? My house is completely empty."

"Why didn't you stay at Alice's?" I asked in confusion.

She sighed. "Well, Rose is with Emmett, and Alice disappeared with Jasper, and all of the _other _rooms are occupied by our unconscious classmates so I went home. But of course my parents are still gone and I _really _don't like staying in that big house all alone."

"Bella, of course you can come here," I said, already dragging on some basketball shorts and jogging down the stairs. "I'll meet you at the front door."

She was there in less than two minutes clad in a giant Brown University t-shirt that reached her mid-thigh. As if she could sense my unspoken question, she lifted the shirt and revealed short. I chuckled and we walked into my house and upstairs. I stopped at the landing, contemplating where to take her.

"I'll just sleep in your room," she said, pushing me aside and walking to the only room with an open door.

I closed my door and locked it just in case, and admired the way she looked sitting on my bed. Before I went to lie down, I went over to my iHome and selected a song. I hit play and climbed into the bed. Bella rested her head down on the pillow and curled her body into a ball. The full moon shone through my giant window, highlighting her beauty. We faced each other, not feeling awkward at all with the maintained eye contact.

Eventually, her eyes drooped, and then mine, and we fell asleep to the sensual whines of Dazed and Confused.

* * *

**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Lauren's POV**

**By the way, this Lauren POV will have something very important in it,**

**so make sure you review and enable your Private Messaging!**


	9. Heat

**I've been informed by several people that the alternative POVs I send are being cut off; if that seems to be the case with you, just log in to FanFiction and view them through your messages. And if that still doesn't work, just leave your email address in your review so that I may send them that way. However, when you include your email you must write it in this format or it won't show up:**

**emailaddress at gmail**

**It's VERY important to leave out the at sign and the dot.**

**Also, some people have been wondering if they can still review on earlier chapters and get the extra POVs. YES. I have all of them saved, so just review on the chapters you want the extra POVs from, and I'll send them out.**

* * *

**BELLA**

The day was uncharacteristically hot, the sky a shade of cloudless neon blue; the sun sizzled golden and baked me from up high. A splash of water startled me from my observing, prompting me to run screaming. Emmett laughed, chasing after me with the hose, keeping his trigger finger pulled the entire time. My foot found a concealed muddy patch and I slipped with a screech.

No longer laughing, Emmett jogged over to help me up. "God, Bee Bee, I'm so sorry."

I couldn't help but chuckle at the frown etched on his face. "No worries, Em. Make me lunch and we're even."

He snorted and threw me over his shoulder caveman-style. Emmett and I had been playing like six-year olds outside the entire day, taking advantage of the beautiful weather while we could.

It was Saturday, and Alice and Rose were shopping for Halloween costumes with Jasper; Edward had gone to spend time with his friend, Jacob, in La Push.

Edward had invited the five of us to accompany him to Jacob's annual Halloween party at his house on the beach in a few weeks. It sounded fun and we were all itching to get out of Rolling Hills for a night so we agreed.

Emmett and I didn't go shopping with everyone because we already had our costumes picked; he'd internet ordered a Superman costume a week before, and I had chosen to be the sexy leather-clad Sandy from Grease. So instead of shopping, we'd spent the day bonding and rough-housing and plain just having fun with no obligations or responsibilities to tie us down. It was one of the only times we'd ever get at being kids again.

Before Emmett could start making sandwiches, the house phone rang. I hopped up on the counter, ignoring the way the water squeezed out of my bikini bottoms, and answered. It was Gran, and she's extended an invitation for lunch at the country club. I relayed the message to Emmett and we both went off to shower and change.

An hour later, we were pulling up to the valet service of the club. They took the Jeep, and we walked in, being greeted by the several employees that recognized us from our frequent visits. Gran was sitting at her favorite table outside that overlooked the small lake. She hugged us both and we sat, each ordering their lunch special for the day.

"How is school going?" Gran asked.

Emmett answered first. "Good, I'm getting all A's in all my classes."

Gran looked to me next. "I checked my GPA last week and I have a perfect 5.0, number one in my class."

Gran smiled, exceptionally pleased with both of us. Education and intelligence were very important to her, and she had high hopes for both of us to attend an Ivy League school, whether it be Brown or not. The fact that we were both ridiculously smart and involved in a few extracurricular almost solidified our acceptance.

The rest of lunch went by quickly as does all our time with Gran, and sooner than I liked we were hugging her goodbye.

When we got home, Emmett and I settled into the living room to watch The Godfather. Thirty minutes in, Emmett zonked out, and I wasn't too far behind him.

A tickle on my nose brought me to consciousness, my eyes slowly opening despite the protesting light of the lamp. My gaze blurred then focused on the small girl with black hair and a hot pink feather in her hand. I groaned and swatted Alice away, rolling over to snuggle in the couch. I noticed Emmett was gone.

"Get up, Sleepy. The concert's in two hours."

_That _woke me up. I had completely forgotten about the Foo Fighters concert that night; Emmett had never mentioned it and no one else had been around. I got up, ignoring the dizziness that swirled in my head and started jogging up to my room, hearing Alice close behind me.

We both went straight for my closet, scouring through the racks of clothing for something to wear. Alice was already dressed in a red cotton corset dress and black heels.

"So what'd you pick out for Halloween?" I asked as I checked out a pair of destroyed black jean shorts.

"Ooh, nice," Alice commented on the shorts. I pulled off my pants and dragged the shorts up my legs. "Anyway, I got an evil fairy costume."

I snorted. "Appropriate." She whacked me with a scarf.

"Jasper's going as Bret Michaels, and Rose is Wonder Woman."

"Nice," I replied absentmindedly as I pulled on a plain white V-neck shirt. The slight dip of the V showed just enough of the ample cleavage my bra gave me. I grabbed my black Vans and put them on, heading into the bathroom next.

My face looked alive, despite only having been woken up fifteen minutes prior. Quickly, I swiped on mascara and brushed my teeth, then pulled my hair up into a high ponytail. Alice waited beside the door, swirling her key ring around her pointer finger. We went down the stairs and I locked up the house.

As we got into Alice's Porsche, I asked, "So where to, Captain?"

She giggled, backing out of my driveway. "Everyone's waiting at La Bella Italia for us."

My stomach growled appropriately, making Alice laugh again. "Thank God," I said, "I'm freaking starving.

Dressed up and ready to go, we arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later. It was quaint, with strung bulb lights hanging over the outside terrace, and the permanent waft of garlic permeating it. We spotted everyone at a nearby table once we walked inside and headed over. I took the empty seat next to Edward with a smile.

He leaned close, whispering, "You look very pretty."

I blushed, a scary uncharacteristic trait. "Thanks. You look nice as well." And he did. He was wearing dark jeans, with strategic frays, and a white t-shirt that clung across his chest. "We sort of match," I said with a chuckle.

He looked me up and down, from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. He scooted his chair back and held out his foot that was adorned by a similar pair of black Vans. I smiled bigger, shaking my head.

"Nice."

Dinner was all laughs, good food, and more importantly, good friends. We ate until we were stuffed and laughed until our stomachs hurt even more. Afterward, we all piled into our respective cars and drove to the White River Ampitheater. The parking lot was packed, and the night air was hot, leaving a buzz of excitement electrified through our skin.

Getting in was a little difficult given the population of the concert, but soon enough we were taking our seats on the balcony that overlooked the stage. It was sure to be an awesome view.

And it was. The lights, the lyrics, the sweat dripping down Dave Grohl's face. Everything was in extremes: the way I felt when each whir of the guitar rattled my bones, the way the congested heat made my skin flush, and the way Edward's hand wrapped around mine made my heart pound violently. I kept my hand in his the entire night, didn't even think about the implications or what it would mean for tomorrow. All I knew was that tonight…tonight, it felt oh so good.

* * *

**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Edward's POV of his lunch with Jacob**

**ALSO, if you review anonymously (not logged in) I can't send you the extra POVs**


	10. Nothing Like Family

**BELLA**

"So when is Tanya getting in?" My mother asked with a cool disinterested voice that fooled no one…especially me. She must have forgotten that her drama classes back in college did her no justice, and I had inherited my father's foolproof bullshit detector.

My mother and only cousin from my paternal uncle had never and would never see eye to eye. If my mom said up, Tanya would say down just to piss her off, and vice versa. There was no real reason for the mutual dislike, but nonetheless it existed for the foreseeable future. It was all too middle school-ish for a 40-year old mother of two and a 21-year old Ivy League student.

While I was no angel in the language department, Tanya made me look like one. She tended to share our Gran's colorful opinion of Renee Swan, and never - I repeat never - lowered herself to censorship when visiting. My dad found it charming, my mother called her insufferable. I loved Tanya to death and cherished every moment I got to have with her.

"She lands in an hour," I finally bit out.

I wasn't keen on the way my mom liked to treat Tanya while she was here because it kept her visits few and far between, which for me was a major problem. Tanya was like the older sister I had always wanted in every way. She was a person whom I wished to follow my footsteps in: she was valedictorian of her high school in L.A., accepted early into Brown, and was currently top of her junior class. Needless to say, she _was _someone to look up to.

Emmett barged through the front door a few moments later, bursts of happiness exuding from him at every step. He had on a huge grin and his eyes were twinkling; Tanya was somewhat of a favorite around here.

"Is it time to go yet?" He asked as he hugged me bear style, releasing some of his anxious energy.

I giggled, hugging him back. "Dad said we'll leave in thirty."

Thankfully, my father finished most of his business in D.C. for the time being, so he could be at home a lot more often now.

True to his word, a half hour later, my father hustled us into his Mercedes sans mom. The drive to the airport was stretched due to anticipation, and my skin prickled with anxiety and excitement. I hadn't seen Tanya in at least ten months when we went to L.A. for Christmas.

It took us another thirty minutes to find a parking spot and make it to the entrance. For October, the airport was very busy, but Dad had enough experience with it that we navigated our way to Tanya's landing gate with ease. Emmett and I spent another fifteen minutes pissing Dad off with our jittery enthusiasm, and before I knew it, I spotted the lovely head of strawberry gold. I was sprinting before I fully processed it was her and I slammed into her with the biggest damn hug ever. She squeezed me and I smiled into her shoulder, the smell of Chanel surrounding me.

"Hey, Bee Bee."

I chuckled, stepping back to look at her. "Hey, Tanny," I said back, using her family nickname as well. She was still tall at 5'9", but thin like a model, with eyes the pale hue of blue ice and blonde hair tinged in light red. She was absolutely stunning and a total California girl.

"Damn, Bee, your tits got bigger." And there was the bad mouth I loved.

Just then, a behemoth blur was to my left and Tanya was assaulted with love all over again. Emmett picked her up in the middle of the airport, swinging her around; her melodic laughs filled the atmosphere and though her visit had just begun, I was sad that she would have to leave soon.

She made the special trip from Rhode Island in order to see Emmett and me on the homecoming court. Homecoming only really mattered at Ivy Ridge Prep if you were a junior or senior; the senior winners were of course the king and queen, and the junior reps were deemed prince and princess. Emmett was on the guy's court with Edward, Eric, and a boy named Ryan from the lacrosse team. My fellow competitors were Rose, Alice, and Angela. I didn't mind running against them because even if I didn't win, I'd be happy that one of them did.

After hugs had been shared all around at least three times, we got Tanya's suitcase and headed out to the car. She waited to ask questions until we were buckled into the leather seats and on the road.

"What's new, Bee Bee?" Tanya asked. Tanya and I were close, and we texted and called each other often. She was well aware of everything that went on with Edward.

I shrugged once. "Nothing much…oh! Did I tell you Edward got me and Em tickets to the Foo Fighters?"

Her mouth popped open in envy. "You're shitting me."

Emmett shook his head and turned to grin from the front seat. "Nope, Ed hooked us up. Even got Rose, Alice, and Jasper to get tickets too so we all went together."

"Daaamn," Tanya whistled, "I need to meet this guy." Money meant quite little to Tanya given that our family was blue blood and old money, but Edward's conveyed generosity said a lot about him to her. She also had the Swan bullshit detector, and was an excellent judge of character.

"Don't worry, Tanny, you'll probably meet him later. He and Bee Bee are up each other's asses all the time."

Dad grinned in the rearview mirror and Tanya sported a similar expression. I snorted because I liked to deny like that and looked out the window. A few moments later, I felt a soft hand on mind. I looked over and Tanya's once taunting mask was softened into empathy; she knew by our third conversation about Edward that I liked him.

I was so fucked.

* * *

"I see that you haven't stuck to your weight loss resolution, Renee," Tanya mockingly chastised as my mother ordered our chef, Ralph, around the kitchen.

My mother tensed and chanced a look around the room, but my father was in his office. There was no one to save her from her niece. So instead, she did what she always does.

"I see you haven't lightened up on the makeup, Tanya."

I shook my head and carried Tanya's suitcase upstairs to the guest bedroom. After I dumped her stuff, I went back downstairs and settled myself at the island. There was food literally covering every inch of counter surface: lasagna, fresh salad, steaming breadsticks, chick parmigiana. It was an Italian feast to feed ten. Gran was coming to dinner, and my mother, unlike the way she dealt with Tanya, used any opportunity to kiss Gran's ass. Forcing Ralph to make double the usual quantity was her way of puckering up.

While my mother's stern voice still echoed from the dining room, I hopped off the stool and slunk down the hall into my parents' bedroom. I went straight for the jewelry box, popped out the earring tray, and pulled out one of the fifty-dollar bills that were stashed there. Discreetly I went into the hall closet and slipped the green bill into Ralph's inner coat pocket. It was this secret thing he and I had done for years; my mother had been and always would be a raging bitch and this was my way of apologizing. Take from the rich to give to the deserving.

When the doorbell rang, I was the first at the door, swinging it open to hug my gran. She smelled of expensive Chanel and sunshine. We stepped back from our hug and she went on to hug Emmett, and last Tanya. We were then ushered into the living room by my overly fake enthusiastic mother. Gran didn't give Mom's effort any appreciation, just commenting on how she's 'fucking hungry and wished dinner would be ready' to which my mom scurried off.

Thankfully my dad could act as a buffer so they didn't bicker.

The conversation eventually flowed to me and the new friend I'd made.

"Where's Edward this fine evening?" Gran asked, taking a deep swig of her champagne.

I shrugged. "Not sure, I haven't talked to him since yesterday." I'd been so excited for Tanya's arrival that I hadn't thought to check my phone at all, and left it upstairs amidst my morning sheets.

"Well call and invite him over to join us. The more the merrier…right, Renee?" Gran gave Mom a pointed look and she nodded emphatically.

"No, no, I'm sure he's busy," I denied.

"Bee Bee, it wasn't an option. It was a thinly veiled order. Now go invite that boy to dinner. I want to meet him," Gran said with authority. Emmett was smirking, my mother had left to check the food, and my dad and Tanya had matching 'shit's gonna get real good' grins.

I sighed and went upstairs to grab my phone, jogging back down and taking my place on the couch. I dialed his number and he answered immediately.

"Hey, Bella!" The enthusiasm in his voice made me smile, but I wiped it off when I noticed the rapt interest of my family.

"Hey, Edward. Uh, I was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner."

"Yeah, sure. Will it be just me and you, or is Emmett there?"

I sighed and pinched my nose. "Um, not exactly. My cousin flew into town for homecoming so it's her, Emmet, me, my dad, mom, and my gran."

"That sounds great; I'll be over in five. Bye."

I snorted and ended the call. That boy had no idea what was in store for him. Gran looked pleased and smiled.

"Is he coming?"

I nodded. "He should be over in a few minutes."

Five minutes flew by and before I knew it, I was opening the door. Edward was dressed just right in a pair of khaki pants and a short-sleeved polo - dressy, yet casual…just right. The others had already been seated in the dining room so I gave him a small hello and led him into the room where my dad, Gran, and Tanya all looked up and smiled with secrets of the night to come.

I chuckled in pure anticipation. Tonight should be fun.

* * *

**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Tanya's POV**


	11. Homecoming

**A LOT of you are asking me, "Why doesn't Edward just dump Lauren?". While we all are aware that Edward and Bella only belong with each other, you have to look at it from the aspect of a first long-term relationship. We've all had those moments where you aren't happy with your boyfriend/girlfriend, but are too scared to let them go despite knowing there are other, better people out there for you. Eventually, people get stronger, as will Edward.**

**I hope that cleared up any confusion.**

**Also for the people wondering if the alternate POVs from early chapters are still available…YES they are. I have every single extra POV saved.**

* * *

**BELLA **

Dinner with Edward was something else. Gran was feistier than usual with her biting tone and wonderful sarcasm. She warmed up to Edward quickly, and in no time was regaling him with embarrassing stories of Emmett and me. We both good-naturedly protested and groaned in the appropriate places.

Edward engaged really well with everyone, including Mom who calmed down a bit. They asked him about school and his intelligence, his athletics, and of course his social relationships. Then Lauren got brought up. To my utter mortification, Gran lectured Edward on having a long-distance girlfriend and how those relationships rarely worked. Edward politely listened, and I watched with fascination as Gran sent Tanya a covert wink. I'd have to have a talk with those two.

When dinner was over, we sat in the living room with dessert and talked until it was time for bed. I walked Edward across the street, and I had a brief wondering if that could be our life together. Awesome dinners with family, good laughs, nice walks, sparking chemistry.

I went to bed that night thinking about him until I was unconscious and he was in my dreams.

* * *

That next afternoon, Saturday, I found myself in Rose's bathroom. The night air filtered in through the open balcony doors, washing over my skin and leaving in its wake goosebumps. The residual heat and steam from my shower still lingered and mixed nicely with the nippy chill.

Alice tugged my hair free from the bath towel, scrunching and tousling product into the strands. Alice's hair was already arranged into neat curls that were pinned against her head, and Rosalie had straightened her hair, leaving it to fall down her back like a waterfall of liquid gold.

"Sit down," Alice instructed me, pointing to the velvet stool.

I sat obediently while she blow-dried my hair, scrunching her hands through it simultaneously. Once it was dry, she took a large barreled curling iron and placed strategic waves all throughout my head. When she was finished, she took a tiny step back to admire me.

"My best work yet!" She gushed. "Look!"

The mirror reflected back a dark and dangerous looking girl with tousled 'just romped' hair that could rival Edward's, and smoky, alluring eyes. The midnight blue eyeshadow complemented my pallor well and made my eyes look like a pool of liquid chocolate.

I smiled, bright and genuinely, and stood to hug. "You're a genius. Thanks, Ali."

Tanya grinned at me from her perch on Rose's bed. "Eat your heart out, Lauren."

I chuckled. The fact that I wanted Edward was no longer kept quiet around Rose and Ali anymore, and on more than one occasion, we had trashfests about his witchy girlfriend while watching Mean Girls. The irony was not lost on me. Fortunately for me, she was coming to see Edward tonight, and would be forced to see her boyfriend and me walk across the field together, like high school royalty.

Since only the senior nominees were required to dress formally, Alice, Rose, and I were free to dress to accommodate the cold shift in weather. Alice had on cute tights and a sweater dress, while Rose donned tight jeans and a deep red turtleneck. I was wearing my favorite leather leggings with a burgundy and grey plaid flannel shirt that fell just below my hipbones with the sleeves rolled up; having snagged it from Edward's closet, the smell of his skin still lingered on the shirt material and surrounded me.

After a small knock on the door, Rose's mother walked in, immediately breaking into a smile upon seeing us all made up.

"Oh, girls, you look divine!" She squeezed my chin affectionately and stroked her fingers through Rose's hair. "Are you done getting ready?"

We answered in the affirmative and followed her downstairs to take pictures. There were individuals done of me, then Rose, then Alice, and then group shots of us with each other, Tanya, and her mom and stepfather. Jasper took most of the pictures and then snagged Alice in for a few of their own. I smiled at their affection and immediately missed Edward.

My heart clenched painfully though, not a common reaction when thinking of his pretty face. It wasn't fair for either of us to keep pretending _something _wasn't going on…I needed to tell him how I felt. Give him a fair chance to decide what he wanted finally.

Out of nowhere, Jasper whisked me off my feet and Mrs. Hale snapped a picture of us. I giggled when Alice jumped on his back and Rose threw an arm over his shoulder. The bright light flashed and that memory was captured forever.

* * *

"I swear if I get mud on my shoes, I will murder someone," I grumbled, pulling my black military jacket tighter around me. My brand new black ankle boots were falling victim to the cakey aftermath of the rainfall the night before, and I did my best to avoid those areas, although it was almost impossible.

I hopped and ran my way to the entrance, waving hello to Mr. Banner who was collecting tickets. Alice and Rose quickly followed me and we walked toward the bleachers. As expected, the stands were absolutely packed with people. I noticed many from school, their parents close by, and a few strangers.

There was a section in the dead center of the bleachers that was bare, roped off for the homecoming court. Angela sat alone, texting on her phone, while two freshman girls huddled together behind her.

We walked down the aluminum path, receiving greeting and whistles. I spotted Esme and Carlisle just as they waved, so I told Rose and Alice I'd be at the seats in a few minutes. I climbed the stairs up to Edward's parents, being forceful in my steps to scrape off the mud.

As I reached Esme, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around her. "Hey, Esme."

Esme pulled back and held my face between her hands. "You look beautiful, Bella…wait. Is that Edward's shirt?" Her tone was colored with amusement as she touched the flannel.

I chuckled. "Yeah, I don't think he knows I swiped it."

She laughed and shook her head while I leaned over to hug Carlisle. A light-haired couple next to him caught me off guard as they blatantly stared. I stared back, not at all intimidated to back down.

"Uh, Bella, these are Lauren's parents. Frank, Susan, this is Bella. She's on the homecoming court with Edward tonight," Carlisle supplied awkwardly.

Adolf and Eva both offered polite, tight-lipped smiles but no words were exchanged. Lauren sat next to them, staring at the plaid that graced my torso, looking utterly furious. I winked at her, said goodbye to Esme and Carlisle, and skipped down the steps and over to the homecoming area. Our seats were in perfect view of the team seats, but still placed well enough to see Lauren & Co.

Fifteen minutes later, Gran and Tanya walked huddled close together, with my mom and dad following close behind. Tanya spotted me immediately and led my family over to us. Dad kissed my cheek, Mom hugged me and told me I was gorgeous; Gran smacked my ass and said I looked hot, and Tanya looked downright suspicious. She and Gran clutched their coats tight around them despite the lack of wind.

"My parents are up there," Rose said, pointing to seats that were a few rows up and to the left of us. Alice's parents were also with them.

My family walked up to Mr. and Mrs. Hale and Jasper, sitting down beside them.

I turned to Alice and Rose. "Did you think Tanya was acting weird?"

They looked confused. "I don't think so. Why?"

I looked to Tanya again, noticing her grip on her coat had not lessened. "I don't know. She's just acting weird."

Rose shrugged and looked out on the field. "Maybe she and Gran toked up before the game."

I smiled. The theory wasn't entirely implausible, but Rose knew how to make me lighten up. Another fifteen minutes later, the stands were completely full and there wasn't an empty seat in the house. The air was electrified with anticipation and my knee wouldn't be still. Alice repeatedly put her hand on it to still the bouncing.

Soon, thankfully, the hyped up music of "We Will Rock You" started blaring out of the speakers. The bass was deep and rocked the stands, and the fans stomped their feet to the rhythm. Our players came into view, their bodies dressed in black uniforms. Their helmets were on and they crouched, fierce, running to the music. The crowd went absolutely fucking wild, jumping to our feet and screaming.

"Go Emmett and Edward!" Rose and I screamed together.

Emmett blew a kiss at Rose after taking off his helmet, and then slapped his ass at me. I chuckled and shook my head, directing my attention to Edward. He stared at me intensely, lips parted, eyes somewhat wide, his breathing seeming shallow even from the distance. I bit my lip, entranced with him. Without hesitation, I winked, earning a smile. My heart hammered and I just wanted it to be halftime.

Just then, I heard more screams for Edward behind me…familiar screams. Gran and Tanya stood from their seats with jackets held wide open to reveal matching white t-shirts with a picture of Edward and me and glossy red words embedded underneath: EDWARD & BELLA FOR HOMECOMING!

My face warmed and a hysterical giggle escaped me. My head cut to see Edward's reaction. He and Emmett were laughing their asses off, pleased with the spectacle. I shook my head in shock. Rose, Alice, and Angela held each other up in much the same fashion as Emmett and Edward, completely amused by Gran and Tanya.

This was sure to be an interesting night.

* * *

Half-time brought us winning by six points. The section of homecoming nominees walked to the field house that sat beside the field. There was raucous laughter spilling out of the entrance, and Rose clung to me while we waited. The night had brought on a colder wind and I longed for the warmth of Edward's side.

A few moments later, Emmett, Edward, and Eric came out of the field house. The fourth boy on the junior court, Ryan, went over to Angela. Edward walked up to me, his steps faltering as he neared.

His eyes squinted suspiciously, and he asked, "Is that my shirt?"

I snorted, looking down at the plaid. "Why, I have no idea what you mean." My innocent tone was betrayed by my guilty smile.

His finger reached out to toy with one of the buttons. "My clothes suit you."

His husky tone made my heart skip a beat. "Trust me, they look better on my bedroom floor," I whispered teasingly.

Just as his green eyes fired with surprise, the loudspeaker announced the freshman court to come out to the field. Hurriedly, the sophomores collected into a line, and I hooked my arm through Edward's.

The freshman winners were announced, and the sophomores rushed through, and before I knew it, the juniors were called out to the field to declare the prince and princess of Ivy Ridge. Angela and Ryan were at the very left of our formation facing the bleachers, with Alice and Eric at the very right. Emmett and Rose, and Edward and I were the two couples in between.

"Please give a round of applause to our nominees for the junior court!" Our principal, Mr. Varner, said loudly into the microphone. The stands clapped appropriately. I noticed Gran and Tanya standing up, proudly revealing their shirts.

"For the junior boys, we have representing: Emmett Swan, Eric Yorkie, Ryan Smith, and Edward Cullen." More applause. "Representing the junior girls' court, we have: Rosalie Hale, Alice Brandon, Angela Weber, and Isabella Swan." I recognized my father's signature whistle that could cut glass, but it made me smile for the support.

"In the tradition of Ivy Ridge Preparatory, the two winners are already paired up, but impossible to know until I announce them," Mr. Varner gestured to the four couples in front of him, wiggling the envelope in his hand.

"So without further ado, the prince and princess for Ivy Ridge's junior court are…"

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Lauren's POV of this chapter**

**PLUS a picture of Bella's outfit!**


	12. Bathroom Confessionals

**I'm sorry for the [slight] delay. I'm going out of town next Saturday the 30****th**** so I've been getting ready for that as well as slaving away at work. Unfortunately I won't have internet access while at the beach, and my mom won't upload for me, so I'll upload on the 30****th**** and the day I get back, the 8****th**** of July.**

**I know this chapter is short and weird because it's in Tanya's POV, but I promise it's crucial to be this way. Enjoy!**

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**TANYA**

"Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen!"

My heart jumped and I stretched onto my tiptoes to see my cousin and Edward walk forward to accept their crimson sashes. With wrapped elbows and matching smiles, Edward and Bella looked perfect for each other. Not just aesthetically, but on paper they seemed good as well: Bella was headed for Ivy League, driven, attractive, funny. I knew how much Bella adored Edward, and I could tell he adored her right back…but his girlfriend was a problem.

Alice discreetly pointed her out to me whilst Bella's attention was diverted. The girlfriend - Lauren - was absolutely nothing special with her hair bleached to shit and her skin an odd pale-orange. I had to devise _something _that would rid of her besides a comical t-shirt to force Gran to wear with me.

When Bella and Edward came off the field, Edward immediately went with Emmett into the field house. I pulled Bella into a congratulatory hug first, which was followed by the rest of our family, then Alice and Rose.

"I knew you'd win!" My gran said, holding Bella's face like she was a porcelain doll.

Bella smiled. "Thanks, Gran."

"We're going to sit back down for the rest of the game, sweetheart," Renee said, her voice grating under my skin.

Bella nodded. "I'm getting hot chocolate first. You guys want anything?"

Everyone declined, and Bella walked away with Alice, Rose, and Angela. While my family went back to the bleachers, I walked toward the bathroom that was placed near the concession stand. It was cleaner than most football fields' restrooms, but I still walked with caution through the doorless entrance. A voice stopped me in my already soft tracks.

"Jacob, not now." For some reason, I felt as if I shouldn't enter…but eavesdrop instead.

"Jake, _please _don't put this on me right now. I'm not telling him, and you sure as hell aren't either."

My heart rate quickened. I peeked my head around the corner just enough to see it was in fact Lauren.

"Of course I'm in love with him, Jacob. You may think I'm some girl who will fuck her boyfriend's friend without a care, but I do love him. If you don't quit pestering me…"

Then Lauren's tone weakened. "Bella has nothing to do with this. He's with me. _Not her_."

She finally sighed, obviously spent by the conversation. "Just please leave me alone for a few days. Bye."

I made my presence known just as she ended the call. Her widened eyes told me she knew I had heard.

"Uh, h-hi." The way she stuttered exposed her weak sense of self.

"Lauren, is it?" I asked condescendingly.

She nodded, seemingly afraid of what was going to happen. Good girl, be afraid.

"I'm not by nature a rude person," I started, mentally laughing because I _was _rude to those who deserved it, "but I couldn't help but overhear your little conversation there."

Lauren audibly gulped and narrowed her eyes. "What of it?" She asked back boldly.

I chuckled. "I'd consider watching my tone if I were you. You see, I just heard some _very _pertinent information that I'm sure you wouldn't want getting out…now would you?"

Lauren took a deep, shuddering breath. "What do you want?"

I smiled. I loved getting my way. "You need to break it off with Edward, or I'll expose your big secret."

Lauren was clearly torn, her eyebrows drawn in confusion. "I love him," she exhaled.

I shook my head. "No. You don't. And even if you did, not good enough."

Her shoulders rolled back defiantly. "I'll just tell him the truth. He loves me, he'll forgive me."

"Really?" I asked with a demeaning lilt. "Have you even seen the way he looks at Bella? He's just looking for an excuse to get away from you, and to get with her."

She shook her head. "If I can't have him, no one else should."

"If you don't break up with him, and _soon _I might add, I will make your life a living hell. Not just in Rolling Hills, but in Forks as well."

"And why should I do what you say?" She asked. "How do I know you aren't just bluffing that you'll tell?"

I smiled and took a big step near her. "Little girl, you don't even know what I'm capable of."

She gulped again.

"Now, do we have ourselves a deal?"

She nodded, her breath coming shallow now.

"Good. Now run along, little slut."

Lauren ran out of the bathroom like a bat out of hell. Phase one of Plan Bella and Edward complete.

* * *

**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Lauren's POV of the bathroom confrontation**


	13. Turning Page

**I have a banner now thanks to EvilNat :) I put the link on my profile for those of you who are interested. Also a very big thank you to Midnight Cougar who so kindly wrote a rec/review of Wicked Little Girls on her blog. You should all check it out at robattack .wordpress .com **

**If you're looking for something to read, I have a new story up - Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**EDWARD**

After the game, I was really fucking excited to chill out and maybe hang out with my friends. And then I remembered Lauren mentioning her parents wanting to take us out to dinner. Fuck. I was so not in the mood for that. My mind was a swirl of ideas of how to get out of that predicament. And fast.

Thankfully though, my mother sort of came to my rescue. She offered to get a shitload of Chinese food and invited everyone - including Lauren and her parents - back to the house to eat. I gave Lauren a quick hug, and jumped in my car to speed home.

As soon as I pushed through the front door, I darted upstairs past my mom and dad. Once in my room, I stripped off my shirt before a rustle startled me.

Bella was sitting Indian-style in my computer chair, smirking at my gaping face.

"Problem, cowboy?" She taunted.

I snorted in nervousness. "I didn't know you were in here," I offered by way of explanation for my state of half-nakedness.

"By all means, don't stop on my account." She did an overly dramaticized roll of her hand for me to continue.

I shook my head, laughing as I walked into my bathroom to undress completely. The bathroom door was cracked so I could still hear her in my bedroom. She turned on music a few moments later.

When she spoke again, I could tell she was sitting on my bed. "So, how does it feel to be my prince?"

I chuckled as I turned on the water. "It's an extreme honor, Princess Bella."

I could hear her pretty laugh over the soft spray of the shower. I stepped in, immediately relaxing into the heat. With a quick speed, I washed my body and hair. I stood quietly beneath the water for a few minutes before I begrudgingly shut off the supply. With a blind hand, I reached my hand out toward the towel rack.

My soft white towel was thrusted into my searching hand. Nervous once again of her close proximity, I snapped my hand back and quickly dried off and wrapped the towel around my hips.

Bella was on my bed after I came out of the bathroom, lying on her side with her head propped up by her left hand. She whistled as I walked by, wagging her eyebrows comically just like Emmett did from time to time.

I walked into my closet and dressed comfortably in basketball shorts and a t-shirt. Once dressed, I walked back into my bedroom. Bella got up, coming near to admire me.

She sighed. "I should go down before you. I don't think Miss Priss would appreciate us making an entrance together."

I squeezed my eyes. Did I just imagine the pain in her tone or was it real? Without saying another word, she stepped forward to lightly kiss my collar bone and walked out.

In order to tame my beating heart, I waited a few more minutes to join everyone downstairs. I held my hand over the skin she kissed with reverence, wishing I could relive that moment over and over and over again. In the brief time I had completely alone, I realized that this relationship wasn't what I wanted or needed anymore. I wasn't happy with Lauren, and I fantasized an unhealthy amount about being with that gorgeous brunette downstairs laughing along with our friends and my parents.

Finally feeling in control for once, I made a mental note to come up with a way to let Lauren down gently. Even if I wasn't happy with her anymore, she didn't deserve cruelty. She'd been with me for a while, and was my friend before that for even longer. Even if she wasn't the one ending this, she still needed to walk away with some dignity and respect.

When I walked into the kitchen, Alice patted the seat beside her which also happened to be the empty seat between her and Bella. I sat down with no hesitation and scooped some fried face onto the empty plate that sat before me.

Sensing eyes on me, I looked up and saw Frank and Susan - Lauren's parents - staring me down quizzically. Then I noticed Lauren's devastated cowl that she attempted to morph into nonchalance over the fact that her boyfriend totally dissed her for the prettier girl from the rich family.

Instantly, I felt like a major dilhole. In an effort to keep the peace, I suggested we all eat in the living room. My parents agreed and we all settled into the random places. Alice and Jasper shared a small one-seater and a plate while Rose and Emmett sat at their feet. My mom and dad sat on the long leather couch and invited Bella to take the third spot. Frank and Susan were on the love seat, and Bella's parents and Tanya brought dining room chairs to occupy. That left Lauren and me on the ground. Gran had already gone home.

"I'd like to make a toast," my mother announced happily, raising her glass. "Alice, Rose, Bella, you all looked beautiful tonight and I'm proud of you girls. I'm glad these boys have you to keep them straight." There was a brief bout of awkwardness with the insinuation of Bella and I coupled off, but my father saved us quickly.

"Charlie, how are things going in Washington?"

Charlie smiled. "Great. My team has most of the campaign material completed and I've accumulated quite a bit of support from previous sponsors."

My father nodded. "That's good. So are you home for a while now?"

"Hopefully so. It's great to be home. We should go golfing next week now that I have some time off."

"That sounds great."

Renee piped up. "Esme, you and I should go shopping sometime for the Halloween party."

Bella's brows furrowed. "What Halloween party?"

"Your father and I are having a party at the house this year."

"Thanks for the invitation," Bella muttered sarcastically.

"Don't be a brat," Renee chided playfully. "I thought you were all going to Spoons with Edward anyways?"

"Forks, Mom," Emmett corrected with a laugh, "it's Forks."

Renee waved her hand as a sign she was disinterested, leaving Frank and Susan to look uncomfortable.

"You're going to Jacob Black's Halloween party?" Susan asked finally.

Lauren answered for me. "Yeah, and he's bringing everyone along," she pointed to my friends.

"That's nice," Frank commented sternly. His eyes wandered to the cathedral ceilings of the living room and the large plasma screen television. "Your home is lovely, Esme, Carlisle. Much bigger than your old one."

My mother smiled gently. "Yes, Carlisle promised me something extravagant to go crazy with decorating." My father chuckled along.

"Well, you did a great job," Susan added. "This is a really nice neighborhood."

"Yes, it's wonderful," my mother replied. "And the neighbors are great as well." Her eyes twinkled as she looked over at Bella.

However, Susan missed the look shared between the two and asked obnoxiously, "Have you met the ones across the street? I mean honestly, that is the biggest house I've ever seen. Looks like it belongs in L.A. or something."

Bella choked on her sweet and sour chicken, coughing as she simultaneously laughed and wheezed. Frank and Susan looked frightened, but Bella finally recovered.

"That's uh," my father started uncomfortably, "that's Charlie and Renee's home." His hand swept to motion to Bella's parents.

Susan looked downright mortified with a bright red face. "Oh, well, you have a very lovely home as well."

Switching subjects, Rose asked Tanya about how Brown was going. Frank and Susan listened with rapt interest as she spoke of her Ivy League education, while Lauren fidgeted in confusing nervousness.

Lauren had never expressed interest in college really, so this sort of uppity upbringing had her parents' heads reeling. Tanya explained that she, along with Emmett and Bella, were Ivy legcaies thanks to their gran and fathers.

When the night wound down, Alice and Jasper left first with Rose, then Bella and Emmett with their parents. My mom, dad, and I walked Lauren and her parents to their car.

"Thank you for dinner, Esme," Frank said first.

"No problem. It was wonderful seeing you again."

We all said goodnight awkwardly with another thank you and congratulation on my win. When I finally made it up to my room and snuggled into my bed, my phone chirped from underneath my pillow.

I answered, seeing it was Emmett on the caller ID. "What's up?"

The voice on the other end was high and sweet. "Hey, Edward, I think I left my phone in your room."

I chuckled, getting up to turn on my lamp. Surely enough, the white iPhone was sitting on my computer desk. "Yep, here it is."

Bella blew out a relieved breath. "Thank God. I was going crazy. I'll come get it tomorrow."

"Uh uh," I tutted teasingly, "I think I might just hold this hostage."

Bella snorted. "What are you going to hold over my head?"

I thought about it for a second. "I could read through your text messages, snoop through your mail."

Bella was quiet for a pause. "I have it password protected."

Sensing she was lying, I clicked the screen and saw she was in fact bluffing. "No, you don't," I countered.

"Damn. Name your price."

I chuckled. "Five hundred _million _dollars."

"Try again, bucko."

"Well, I _am _pretty lonely over here in this big bed. _All _by lonesome. It's really quite sad." I was laying it on thick and I knew it, but for some reason I really wanted to see her.

Bella's tone deepened. "You want a sleepover with me in exchange for my phone?"

"Yes," I confirmed.

"And what if I don't agree to those terms?"

"You don't want to sleep with me?" I pouted.

There was a moment of silence before she said, "Oh, I want to do much more than sleep with you, Edward Cullen."

My breath hitched. Did she really just fucking say that? Holy shit. Without thinking anymore, I ordered, "Come over now." I hung up and paced the length of my room, unaware I was dressed in only boxer briefs, and tugged at my hair.

Then I remembered the house alarm was set and there was no way Bella could get in. I was about to call her when I remembered I had her phone and I doubted she snuck away with Emmett's cell. In my brief panic, I almost didn't hear the slight 'psst' outside.

I glanced at my cracked window. I lifted it completely and stuck my head out. Bella stood two stories below me, waving her hand.

"Open your balcony door," she commanded with a harsh whisper.

I did as she said and watched with amusement as she climbed up the side of my house, using the lattice as support. She finally made it over my balcony railing with my help and we went back inside to escape the cold.

In the mellow light of my room, the energy was charged. I remembered her husky words as I took in her thin tank top and obscenely tiny boxer shorts.

"Hey, pretty," I said without thinking.

She smiled, her eyes closing briefly. "I missed you."

I chuckled. "You were here not thirty minutes ago."

She frowned slightly. "Yeah, but that was different. Your gi- You know what? Never mind, let's get our sleepover on." She walked over and jumped into my bed, snuggling into the blankets like a burrito.

I turned off the light and followed behind her, burrowing into my side of the bed.

"Music?" She asked.

I nodded and rolled over to my nightstand. I turned on my iHome and picked "Turning Page" by Sleeping at Last.

As the soft trills of the singer's voice seeped out of the speakers, Bella spoke. "Edward, can I ask you a question?"

I nodded.

"Do you think it would be okay for us to kiss?"

My heart stuttered in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, friends kiss on the lips all the time. I've seen it. But, if we did that, could it be considered a friend kiss?"

"Bella," I said, "nothing I do with you is friendly."

Much to my surprise, she smiled, satisfied, and flipped over so that her back faced me. I was disappointed, but then she wiggled back against me, spooning. My whole body reacted and I couldn't help but mold my arm around her. As fatigue began to weigh me down, I whispered once more.

"I missed you, too."

* * *

**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Susan's (Lauren's mother) POV**


	14. You Better Shape Up

**Alright, I'm leaving for the beach tonight and won't have a computer for the next 8 days so here is your WLG update. My other story, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken will update later so check that out!**

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**BELLA**

"I'm not wearing a fucking wig, Alice." My tone was flat, leaving no room for discussion.

Alice pouted. "Sandy is _blonde_, you whore!"

I chuckled, leaning closer to the mirror as I applied red lipstick. "No dice. The brown hair stays. We already have one fake blonde to deal with tonight," I joked, referring to Lauren.

Rose guffawed, eerily similar to Emmett. She was holding strong like me and opted to throw away her black Wonder Woman wig. Her long, blonde hair was held back by a golden headpiece, looking very much the part of a stunning comic book superhero.

Alice was gothic incarnated with her purple and black face makeup and matching corset, tutu, and wings. Her hair was spiked up in every direction, pointing up, left, right, down.

My phone chimed from my nightstand. It was from Edward.

_Be there in ten._

We'd decided to take the Tahoe again, sans Felix, over to Forks. The SUV would be big enough for all of us to fit comfortably, and could provide sleeping arrangements if need be.

Emmett, along with Jasper and Edward, had gone to the liquor store to stock up on party sustenance before we left. I had wanted to tag along for the pure satisfaction of witnessing the clerk see Emmett in his Superman costume, but Alice held me hostage before I could try and escape.

"The boys will be here in ten," I informed Alice and Rose. Alice darted around spastically, picking up some of her things here and there she felt she would need for the night. Rose took one last look at herself, threw on her coat, and made her way downstairs. I picked up my cropped leather jacket, pushed my arms through the sleeves, and slipped my feet into my red heels.

"Nice ass," Alice trilled as we walked down the stairs, smacking it for emphasis. The aforementioned ass was wrapped up tight in shiny leather pants with a matching black top that fell off both my shoulders. It was safe to say that with my outfit, my makeup, my wildass hair, and the cigarette tucked behind my left ear that there'd be no mistaking I was Sandy from Grease.

My mom and dad were getting ready in their room for their own party that night. The house was decorated in dark purple, black, and orange decorations; it was the perfect setting for Halloween night.

A honk from outside prompted me to lock up. Rose and Alice ran ahead jumping in the backseat of the SUV. Just as I twisted the key and heard the door lock click, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I turned, losing a little of my breath as I took in Edward. Even though I knew this _had _to be Alice's way of interfering, the smile that overtook me couldn't be dampened.

His long legs and lean chest were displayed in tight black jeans and a black t-shirt; a white sweater with a large red R went over the t-shirt, and his hair…good God, his fucking hair. It was gelled up a la Danny Zuko. It was finished off with his hot as hell smirk as his eyes roamed me up and down.

With a gentle hand, he fingered the lapel of my leather jacket. "Well, hello there."

I chuckled, raising my eyes. "Hey, you. Don't you look…nice." I struggled with the conspicuous understatement.

Without notice, he leaned forward, pushing me back until I hit the front door gently. His body was a mere three inches from mine. "You look good enough to eat," he said. His tone was simultaneously joking and serious.

To lighten the tension, I quoted the song in Grease from which both our costumes originated. "You better shape up…'cause I need a man." Even with my horrible singing voice and teasing demeanor, Edward's eyes never changed from serious.

Very quiet, so low I almost didn't hear, he said, "And my heart is set on you."

My own heart pitter-pattered, completely engrossed in the moment we were obviously having. Unfortunately, the world hated me.

"Let's get a move on, fucktards!"

Sometimes I hated my brother.

* * *

"I'm just saying, if the world was in danger, Sueprman would have a better chance of saving everyone before Wonder Woman could." Emmett chewed on his bag of chips while Rose threw glares at the side of his head.

We were about fifteen minutes away from La Push, or so Edward said. Even through the dark, I could make out the very discernable differences between Edward's old hometown and his new one. This place just seemed confining, dreary, choking.

"Emmett, for the love of God, don't get in trouble tonight," I grumbled from my perch in the passenger seat.

Edward grinned over at me, the tense, passionate atmosphere from earlier almost completely dissipated. I had a feeling that just because it was gone now didn't mean it wouldn't come back.

In fact, I think I secretly welcomed it.

"So, Edster, tell me about your old friends. Is this gonna be any fun?" Emmett asked, diverting Rose's attention finally.

Edward scratched the back of his neck as he made a right turn down a dusty, abandoned road. In the distance, I could see the dark waves crashing in on themselves. "There are some cool ones, and some not so cool ones. I'll point 'em out."

"Cool, cool."

Three minutes later, Emmett was whining, "Are we there yet?" at two minute intervals. I was just about to climb in the backseat to rip my twin's nuts off when we pulled into the driveway of a beat up home that sat near the water.

"_This _is his house?" I heard Alice ask quietly from her seat behind me. Edward didn't hear, but the rest of us sure did.

The small red shack was definitely not the kind of residence we were used to partying at. It made me feel like sort of a snob to agree with the judgmental tone Alice took on. I couldn't help it though. The red layers were peeling, and the wooden porch was decrepit, looking like it could cave in at any given moment. It could be a cute house…if anyone cared enough to fix it up.

Obviously as I checked out the crowd, I didn't see anyone familiar. However, as my eyes scanned the people spilling out of the front door, I did search - attempting inconspicuously - for a head of fake blonde hair.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Jacob's POV of getting ready for the party!**


	15. Just the Beginning

**When you're done reading this, go catch up on my other story: Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken!**

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**EDWARD**

I walked up the familiar rickety ramp that led to Jacob's front door, acutely aware of the small hand clutching the back of my sweater. Bella's body waved heat against my back and I heard her giggle as I reached behind me and squeezed her wrist playfully.

"Dude, Edward, what's up!" Seth Clearwater shouted as he narrowly missed crashing into me. The last time I'd seen him, he was a scrawny boy, but apparently he'd grown up into a fucking huge muscle man. He'd been a friend of mine and was genuinely sad to see me go, still texting me from time to time.

"Seth, hey," I greeted, clapping his huge shoulder. "How ya' doing?"

He shrugged, grinning. "Can't complain. Got a girl now."

I smiled back. "Oh, yeah? Who?"

His eyes widened. "Uh, you don't know her. It's just a casual thing right now. Not really exclusive."

I dismissed his odd behavior. "That's great, man."

"Well, well, well, who's this?" He asked, looking at Bella. However, there was no perverted lilt to his tone, just a teasing register.

Bella smiled nicely at Seth and introduced herself. "Bella."

"You and Lauren not together or something?" He asked quietly enough so Bella couldn't hear.

"Uh, yeah, but probably not much longer." I trusted Seth, and knew he wouldn't stab me in the back by relaying what I'd said.

He raised his brows and nodded. "Damn. Well find me later, man. We'll have a celebratory beer or something."

I laughed and continued into the living room, immediately seeing Jake.

"Edward man, I'm glad you made it!" Jacob bellowed as we came closer, sloshing his beer as he tipped over. "Shit, Felix, I'm sorry," he apologized to the beefy blonde guy that was victim to his drunken clumsiness.

"Of course. You remember everyone…" I trailed off, gesturing to the group behind me.

"Yeah, 'sup," he flicked up his head in greeting.

"This is bigger than last year's," I commented, noticing the sheer size of the crowd that was stuffed like sardines in Jacob's small living room. I recognized a few people from Forks High as I swept my eyes over everyone.

"Yeah, I invited some people from Port A this year. Thought I'd liven it up."

"Where's the fridge?" Alice asked, wiggling her Vodka bottle from side to side.

Jacob pointed toward the swinging door. "Through there."

Alice grabbed Bella's hand, who in turn grabbed Rose's, and they trained their way through the mass of people.

"So, Forks v. Rolling Hills game is soon," Jacob said as conversation.

"You guys are going down," Emmett bellowed, whipping his Superman cape around.

Jacob grinned good-naturedly. "I don't know. Ever since Edward left, we've gotten pretty good."

I put my hand over my heart. "I take offense to that."

Jacob bumped my shoulder. "Nah, man, I'm just playing. But we've gotten pretty good, so we might have a chance."

Emmett and I shared a look that said there was no way they were going to beat us.

"So where's Lauren?" I asked.

"Not sure," he answered, looking around. "Last I saw her was outside."

I nodded and left for the front door toward the bonfire on the beach. Loads of people were gathered around the campfire, with a few straggling couples on the perimeter. I spotted Lauren with her friend, Victoria, close to the ocean.

Victoria wasn't really a favorite of mine. She came from a bad home, but that wasn't why I didn't care for her. She had horrific manners, and dealt with a lot of promiscuity and hardcore drug issues. She often acted as a major peer pressure for Lauren. Just because I was planning on ending it with her didn't mean I wanted her to get into some bad shit.

When Lauren saw me, she smiled big and launched herself at me. I hugged her back and let her down while Victoria left without a word.

"Hey, handsome," Lauren sighed, running her hand down my sweater. She was dressed up as a cat in an awful bustier and skirt with torn fishnets and smeared whiskers that were done with eyeliner. "I love your costume, babe."

"Thanks. Um, I was wondering if we could talk," I started nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. I knew she wasn't going to take the breakup very well, and I wanted us in a nice secluded spot that wouldn't attract much unwanted attention. "You know, somewhere private."

Her eyes exposed a flash of panic before she guarded them with false brightness. "Sure, babe, just let me get you a drink first!"

I shook my head. "No, really, I just want to talk."

"Babe," she said, squeezing my arm lightly, "you just got to the party. Let me get you a drink."

The more I thought about it, the better it sounded. A drink would take the nerves off the awful thing I was about to do. I nodded my head in acquiescence and watched Lauren skip off to Victoria, whom I hadn't noticed standing near a tree watching us, and they went inside.

I sat down on a lonely log on the outskirts of the fire, cradling my head.

"Hey, handsome." Bella sat on the remaining space of the log and smiled.

Involuntarily, I grinned at her. "Hey, Sandy."

She giggled and took a sip of her drink. "Some rager, huh?"

I chuckled and looked around. "Yeah, Jake's parties are usually more low-key than this."

"Mm, I see. So I saw you and Miss Kitty talking. You alright?"

I sighed deeply, just really wanting to get all this fucking pressure off my chest and tell Bella. But I couldn't. Not yet. I wanted to be single when I told her how I felt. I didn't know how much longer I could wait, but thankfully Lauren would be back soon and I could get everything over with.

"Yeah, I've just realized some things. That's all."

She searched my face for further clues but found none. "Alright, well come on inside when you're ready. Emmett's in the beer pong tournament of his life with Ali as his sidekick."

I was still smiling when she walked away.

"Got your drink!" Lauren sang a few minutes later as she danced up to me.

The liquid inside the red cup was dark. I sniffed it curiously, but Lauren shot out and grabbed my forearm.

"Don't be weird," she laughed oddly. "Just drink it."

Thinking of what I was about to do gave me the courage I needed to down my drink in one long gulp. I threw down my empty cup and watched Lauren's eyes grow with excitement.

"Sit down, please," I said, flopping down onto the sand.

Slowly, she folded herself onto the ground near me, sipping her own drink nonchalantly. "So what did you want to talk about?" She asked.

"I thi- I waaan." The words that I wanted to come out stuck in my mouth like peanut butter while my arms tingled numb. My head swam as I cleared my throat to try again, but no sound would come out.

"Poor baby, are you okay?" Lauren asked in a warped voice as she placed her hand on my heart. "My, my, someone's heartbeat is going mighty fast. I think you should lay down."

When my back met the bed, confusion swirled my brain. I had just been outside on the beach…hadn't I? Time skipped like a bad record.

I recognized the furniture of Mr. and Mrs. Black's bedroom surrounding me, the bass of the music thumping through the closed door. Lauren walked in and shut the door behind her, while the back of a large guy disappeared into the bathroom. I wanted to tell Lauren to get Emmett, but my brain wouldn't communicate with my mouth.

Time skipped again. The last thing I remembered was the lights going off and moans vibrating through the room.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Bella's POV of this chapter**


	16. Wading Water

**I've had the worst day I think I've ever had, and you guys always tend to put a smile on my face so I decided to upload again today. I hope you guys like it.**

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**BELLA**

"Holy shit! Edward, are you alright?" Alice asked, flitting over to his side. He was sans shirt, but still had his sweater on over his naked chest, and was still in his jeans. He looked like he might pass out at any given second.

"Yeah, but why do I feel like death?" He croaked.

A body moved from within the master bathroom, and we all looked to see a pile of bright blonde hair shift and then still. Alice crept closer, and confirmed it was Lauren with a few other people passed out on the floor and in the bathtub. Edward was the only one in the main bedroom.

"God, I just want to go home," Edward complained. "Should I wake her?" He asked no one in particular. Suddenly his face hardened and his voice was steel. "No, let's just get the fuck out of here. I need to talk to my dad."

We all mumbled in agreement, and Emmett helped Edward get out to the car. We laid him down in the backseat while I drove with Rose up front, and Jasper, Alice, and Emmett in the middle. As I began to pull out, a redhead in a decrepit car pulled out in front of me, cutting us off. Her car left tufts of dust as she spun out, racing down the main road.

"Stupid bitch," I muttered.

It was early morning light when we left, while people were still passed out around the house and in the sand. It was hard to admit to myself, but I was deliriously happy to find Edward half-dressed on the bed by himself while his girlfriend lay unconscious in the bathroom with a group of strangers.

I was a sick person.

"Edward, what happened to you last night?" Alice asked with concern in her voice. "We didn't see you at all."

"I'm not sure," he groaned. "One minute I was conscious of everything around me, and the next I was gone."

"Well, what happened after you talked to Lauren?" I asked, a little scared of what his answer might be.

"That's just it," he said coldly. "One minute I was talking to her on the beach and the next I was in Jacob's parents' bed."

"Ed, dude, did you drink anything suspicious?" Emmett asked.

Edward shook his head. "No, I had one drink at the party."

"Where'd you get it from?" Jasper asked.

"Lauren got it for me."

The car was silent then, a thick cloud of tension settling over us. I knew we were all thinking the same thing, yet no one was brave enough to say it out loud. I thought Lauren was batshit crazy, but would she drug him intentionally?

"Let's just make sure we get your dad to test you for anything sketchy," I suggested neutrally.

Edward nodded with downcast eyes and an angry posture.

"Damn it!" He suddenly shouted. "I didn't even get to talk to Lauren."

I scrunched my brows, mildly curious and confused. Last night, he hadn't seemed like he really wanted to talk to her, but now he was upset? I was getting whiplash from his moods.

"You can call her later," Emmett promised soothingly.

Edward nodded, and I detected the determined gleam in his eyes through the rearview mirror.

When we got back home, I dropped everyone off at their respective homes. Emmett and I spent the day with our parents watching a few movies and making dinner together. It was a good day that led into a good night.

* * *

"Bella, I don't think this is such a good idea," Edward warned, his voice tinged with a whine. After a full day of rest, he felt significantly better and looked it as well, even if he was still waiting on his test results from the lab.

I snorted. "C'mon, scaredy cat. The pool is heated, and the security cameras aren't even turned on," I pointed out. I hoisted my body over the fence that perimetered the pool, waiting with hands on hips as Edward carefully and slowly climbed over after me.

The midnight air was chilly, around 40 degrees, but the steam from the heated pool floated like a mirage in the desert. It was a quarter after midnight, and I had unwillingly dragged Edward with me to the neighborhood clubhouse, unable to fall asleep and just wanting his company. I slid my shorts down my legs and stepped out of them, pulling off my shirt and kicking away my flip-flops. I was clad in only a bra and panties; Edward's eyes were trained on my thighs, his lips sucking in a deep breath.

I walked deliberately toward him, one foot in front of the other, approaching him slowly. So as not to frighten him, my hands lifted gently to the front of his haphazardly buttoned flannel shirt he'd thrown on in haste and popped open each button, starting from the top and ending at the endtails. His breathing came quicker then, his eyes drooping a tiny bit. Staring right into those mint green eyes, I pushed on the shoulders of his shirt until it slid off and down his arms, exposing his lean, muscled chest.

Gently and playfully, I tugged on his basketball shorts and said, "Take these off."

Turning around, I walked to the stair entrance of the pool and lowered myself in with small steps. I heard the small ruffle and thud of fabric, and large footsteps behind me before the water was disturbed by another presence. The water was warm against my chilled skin and I sunk my body in even more, soaking myself up to my neck leaving only my head exposed as I swam slowly backward. Edward's brows were scrunched in thought and his gaze never left the ripples of blue before him.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked, chuckling to lighten the thick mood.

His eyes flashed to me, and the intensity made me take a shuddering breath. "I have-." His words cut off, and his mouth opened to begin again. "I have feelings for you that I shouldn't have."

My lips parted in shock and my heart vibrated. "Wh- what do you mean?"

He gave me a look of exhaustion and slight amusement. "Bella, don't make me think I'm alone in this."

I squeezed my eyes, suddenly feeling claustrophobic in the Olympic-sized pool. Was it only months ago that I was in this same place, drinking and having fun with my friends, with no complicated feeling for boys with strings?

His voice was quieter now. "_Am _I alone in this, Bella?"

My answer was quick. "No."

He let out a shuddering breath and I could hear a smile. "That makes me feel…well, fuck, if I'm being honest, it makes me feel fucking fantastic."

I grinned, finally tipping my head up to look at him. He'd moved closer and only a foot of space separated us. From my position, I could make out the white of his teeth, the incredible pinkness of his lips, and the copper glint through his water-darkened hair.

"But what about Lauren?" I asked. And there it was, the elephant taking up the entire damn pool, suffocating us beyond belief with tension and awkwardness and 'what ifs?'.

His jaw clenched. "Things with her are different. We're not the same people we used to be, not the same 'couple'. I just don't feel the same about her anymore."

I gulped. "Do you love her?"

He blinked down at me, inching closer, his voice dropping down to a wispy register. "No. In fact, I'm not sure I ever did."

I hid a satisfied smile. "And…?"

His hand molded into the curve of my waist. "And so I don't want her anymore."

My eyes closed automatically, and I drew in a breath. "If not her, who _do _you want?"

His body was now flush with mine, everywhere touching from my forehead to his chin, my chest to his ribs, my knees to his shins. Both hands now in the dips of my waist, he glided me backward until I sat on the top rung of the side-pool ladder that was about a foot down into the water. Gently his hands pried my legs open and he situated himself in between. His eyes were now only a few inches from mine and his lips even closer.

"_You _are what I want."

"I want you, too," I whispered.

Gently, his lips touched my cheek and his lips moved against me as he spoke. "What should we do about it then?"

At the point my heart was slamming against me and my mind was dizzy. Only an inch to the left and I would be kissing Edward, something I'd been daydreaming about for weeks. "I don't know…what do you think we should do?" I asked saucily.

I could feel his smile against my cheek before he moved his face back to look at me. "I'm going to break up with her. I was going to do it at the party last night before…I got drugged." I could tell it was still sore for him to say that word out loud.

Relief was the first emotion I felt, closely followed by elation and lust. I wanted nothing more than to kiss him right now, but should we wait until they were broken up? Was it cheating if technically he was no longer emotionally invested in the relationship, and had already made the conscious decision to end things with her? My inner monologue was promptly shushed by his quiet voice again.

"I really want to kiss you right now."

I bit my lip, and placed my hands on his chest as he pushed himself toward me even more. Through his thin boxers, his excitement was easy to feel against me, and made me drunk with want.

"I want that, too."

He smiled serenely, coming closer and closer, his lips barely a touch away when…

"Is somebody in here?" The security guard's voice was loud but still far enough away that we could make an escape.

Both abandoning our feelings for the moment, we immediately jumped out of the pool, grabbing our clothes and hopping the gate in record time. Our wet feet slapped against the road as we jogged with no slowing to our houses. As we reached the juncture that divided us, the realization of every confession came whirling back to mind and we wore matching smiles.

"I will talk to her." He paused. "In fact, she's been calling me all day but I've been too damn pissed about the drink to even pick up the phone," he explained.

I nodded. Just then a light flicked on in Edward's house and he muttered a low 'shit'. "I need to get back before anyone realizes I snuck out on a Sunday night - well, actually it's probably Monday morning by now."

I chuckled. "Okay."

His fingertips trailed my jaw. "I'll see you at school tomorrow. We'll talk?"

I nodded. He smiled again and turned to disappear into the darkness that surrounded his house. With languid steps, I made it back into my own house, not bothering to take precaution with my noises because the house was too big to expose my whereabouts.

When I was with Edward, he made everything seem better, okay, not so bad. He made me feel wanted and worth it. After having climbed the stairs to my room, I fell asleep to the thoughts of pink pillow lips and wading water.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Edward's POV**


	17. Kiss Me

**EDWARD**

You can do this, I told myself. You can do this. I picked up my cell and clicked 'Send', finally returning the 27 missed calls from Lauren.

She answered quickly for 7AM on a Monday morning. "Edward, where were you? I woke up and you were gone."

"Lauren, stop. I'm not sure what the fuck happened the other night, but someone put something in that drink you gave me."

"What?" She asked breathlessly. "Who would even-?"

"Don't play that card," I said, cutting her off. "You're the one that fixed my drink for me."

"I would never," she exclaimed dramatically.

"Then Victoria did."

"Edward, I-."

"Just stop. My dad tested me and I'm waiting for the results. We have something else to talk about."

"Are you breaking up with me?" She asked.

I sighed. "Yeah, I just don't want this relationship anymore."

She sniffled. "Please don't do this. If it's about me, I can change; I can fix whatever the problem is."

"It's not you, Lauren. It's me. I have feelings for Bella and I want to be with her."

"Did that _whore _ come on to you?" She yelled, enraged.

"Lauren, do _not _call Bella derogatory names."

"But, she's a slut! You would have never ended this if it wasn't for her shaking her junk at you constantly."

I counted to five. "I'm done with this conversation. I'd appreciate it if you'd leave Bella and me alone from now on. It's over, Lauren."

I didn't give her the chance to get in another word edgewise. With another swipe of my fingers, I was calling Bella's cell. She didn't answer, so I called Emmett next.

"Hey, Ed, what's up?"

"Is Bella around? She didn't answer when I called…"

"She went to breakfast with Ali and Rose."

"Oh, alright. Want a ride to school?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure," he agreed. "Jazz is over here, too."

"Alright, I'll be over in a few."

When I picked them up, Emmett gave me an odd look. "Why the creepy smile?" I touched my mouth to feel the stretched grin.

I shrugged, still smiling. "I broke up with Lauren."

"Dude," Emmett said with wide eyes, "awesome sauce! High five!"

I laughed as he slapped my hand. "So does that mean you and Bella…?" Jasper trailed off.

I looked to Emmett to gauge his reaction but all I found was support through a grin. "Yeah. Bella and I have talked about our feelings. That's why I called her earlier. To tell her the good news."

"Fucking sweet. Ed's gonna be my brother-in-law!"

I chuckled. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Emmett. Bella and I aren't even dating yet."

"Don't doubt me. I know these things," he warned, tapping his temple.

"I don't plan on it, Em."

By the time we got to school, it was pouring buckets. It was hard to see three feet in front of me, and everything looked like a sheet of rain. When we parked, I immediately jumped out and ran for the school. I shook off and waited for Emmett and Jasper. Together, we walked toward our lockers.

I didn't see much of Bella the first half of the day, just glimpses and flashes of hair whipping by. During lunch, she skipped to tutor a freshman in English. In Calculus and Italian, our course load was heavy and made certain we had no time to talk.

After school, she had to meet up with her Gran so she promised to talk to me later with a smile and a kiss on the cheek.

Around 8 PM, it was still raining hard. I sat on my porch, watching the rain fall down heavy. My parents were out on a date, and everyone else was coupled up at various houses.

My phone rang beside me and I picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Edward, hey."

I smiled. "Hey, Bella. What are you doing?"

"Driving home from my Gran's. What about you?"

I shrugged though she couldn't see me. "Sitting on my front porch. Everyone's busy and my parents are out."

"Oh, well would you mind if I came over? I take it you had something you wanted to tell me?" Her tone was teasing and made me chuckle.

"I do. I'll wait for you on the porch."

"'Kay."

Bella pulled up about twenty minutes later. As soon as the headlights turned off, I stood. An umbrella popped open from the driver's side door, and Bella ran like hell toward the front steps.

"Hey," she greeted somewhat shyly.

I was having none of that. Stepping forward, I grabbed her face between my hands and pushed my lips against hers.

And damn if it wasn't everything and more I'd ever imagined. Her lips were incredibly soft and slick and plump, and she smelled like oranges and tasted like spearmint. With one hand cradling her neck, I placed the other one on the small of her back and pulled her even closer against me. She stretched up on her toes and wrapped her arms around me, sighing into me as I licked her bottom lip.

Walking backward, I sank back into the large rocker. Bella hiked one leg over me and straddled my lap, our mouths never losing contact. I didn't worry about the neighbors seeing because it was so dark and rainy that everything was blurred and distorted.

An unknown amount of time later, we pulled back, huffing heavily.

"Damn," she whispered. "I feel like I've missed out."

I chuckled and swiped my thumb over her bottom lip affectionately. "I could say the same. I've wanted to do that…"

"Since you and your mom opened the door that one day," she finished for me.

I grinned, leaning forward to kiss her again. We sat outside, all wrapped up in each other and kissing, for another half hour before I suggested we go inside.

By the time I made us both hot chocolates, my parents had arrived back from their date. I made two more for them and we sat in the living room together and watched a movie. My parents didn't even question it when Bella sidled up to me and rested her head against my chest and entwined our fingers.

It felt so natural to be with Bella. I knew that I was falling fast for her already.

Hell, if I could admit it to myself, I'd been falling for her since the moment she told me the lunch ladies at school had herpes. It would be no time at all before I told her I loved her, of that I was sure.

When the movie ended, I walked Bella back outside and kissed her goodnight. I went up to my room after receiving a congratulatory hug from my mother and a back pat from my father. After brushing my teeth and setting my alarm, I slipped beneath the covers and called Bella.

It was extremely loud when Bella answered the phone. All I could hear was major ruckus and a small voice that tried to compete. "Hello?"

I laughed when I heard Emmett's shouting in the background. "Hey."

Bella giggled and then I heard silence. "Hey, sorry about that. I told Emmett about tonight and he's excited to say the least."

"Thank God. I couldn't have my best friend not liking my girlfriend," I teased.

She laughed and then sighed as I heard rustling. "God, it feels so good to be in bed right now."

"Mm," I agreed. "However, I could think of one thing that would make my bed a whole lot better."

"What's that?" She asked.

"If you were in it with me."

"That sounds nice," she sighed. Her voice sounded tired.

"Do you want me to let you go to bed?" I asked her quietly.

"No," she insisted, her voice louder than before. "I want to fall asleep with you."

I smiled and got comfortable, letting my phone rest on my cheekbone. "Anything you want, pretty."

I drifted off sometime later, but I could have sworn that in her sleep-addled state, she muttered, 'Edward'.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Emmett's POV**


	18. Toil and Trouble

**BELLA**

"I really have to go now," I chuckled into his mouth. Edward groaned and pushed me back down on the bed, trapping me between the soft comforter and his hard body. I tasted his tongue and tugged his hair, taking all of him in.

"I don't want you to go yet," he complained against my lips.

I smiled. "Me either, but Alice and Rose are expecting me in five minutes."

"So that means we have four more minutes to do this," he argued, pushing his lips against my lips, and his hips against my hips.

Getting lost in kissing Edward wasn't difficult. He was Heaven, Earth, and all things wonderful. I knew in the way that my heart slammed when I saw his face or kissed his mouth that I was in love with him. I'd never been in love before, but that undeniable, weak-but-strong, all encompassing feeling that soured through my veins meant we had something special.

When four minutes had definitely gone by and my phone had missed three calls, I lightly pushed on his shoulders. "I'd love to stay, but I can't be late for girls' night."

He sighed, but pulled us both up into a hug. "I'll miss you."

I giggled. "Have fun with Em and Jasper tonight."

"I'll try," he promised.

* * *

"I mean thank God. It took you guys long enough," Alice stated dramatically as she munched her popcorn.

Rose walked back into my living room with a bag of chips and a few sodas. "Are you talking about Bella and Edward?" She asked Alice.

Alice nodded. Rose let out a sarcastic scoff, "Yeah, no shit. I thought I'd have to spell it out for you two."

"Ding, dong, the witch is gone!" I belted out, holding my Coke high in the air.

They cheered and sang along with me as the opening credits to Sixteen Candles came on the screen.

"So, how's it going?" Rose asked a few minutes later.

The smile that spread across my face was involuntary. "So, so good. He's amazing."

Both Alice and Rose awwed at me. "Bella and Edward sittin' in a tree, F-U-C-K-I-N-G!"

I gasped in shock and threw a pillow at Alice's head. "God, Ali, crass much?"

She shrugged without care and grinned. "So how is _that_?"

I rolled my eyes and stared pointedly at the screen. They both studied me carefully until Rose raised her brows and smiled in surprise.

"You haven't, have you?"

I intensified my glare toward the television, hoping they'd drop it. Unfortunately I knew my best friends inside and out, and neither of them knew when to shut up.

"What are you guys waiting for, Bella? I see the way you look at him, and I _definitely _see the way he looks at you."

Alice nodded in agreement with Rose. "Yeah, if looks could fuck, you'd be pregnant, lady."

I let out a groan of exasperation. "Look, I don't know why we haven't, but it feels right. Everything is going smoothly. When the right time comes, it'll happen."

"But, you guys have been together for over a month already. Thanksgiving was last week. Plus, from August to October was basically foreplay."

I snorted. "Nice one. I don't know, guys. I don't think Edward and I need to discuss things like that. Things will happen naturally, and I'm sure when the time comes I won't be disappointed."

Rose guffawed and Alice giggled, waggling her eyebrows at me. "I've seen the way Edward runs out on that football field. You're in for a treat, missy."

My mouth dropped open. "Good lord. Who have you been hanging around lately, Alice?"

"Tell her, Rose!" Alice said, looking over at Rosalie.

"Tell her what?"

Alice groaned in exasperation. "Ugh! You've been with Emmett forever. Tell her what it's like to have sex with someone who plays football."

"Ew!" I screamed, holding my hands over my ear. "Do _not _regale me with sex stories of my twin brother!"

Alice and Rose burst into laughs, pulling me into a hug.

"I love you girls with all my heart," Alice vowed.

"Me, too," Rose chimed.

"No matter what happens, we have each other, right?" I asked in a moment of vulnerability.

"Right."

"Right."

It was three hours later when Alice and Rose finally went off to their separate houses. Emmett came home right about that time half-slammed. He made two wrong turns to his bedroom before I had to escort him upstairs myself. Just as I had gently shut his door, my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi, pretty baby," Edward greeted me.

I smiled. "Why hello there. How are you?"

He sighed. "Not good. You see, I have a broken heart."

I played along. "Oh no, why?"

"Because my girlfriend is _all _the way across the street instead of with me," he answered dramatically.

"So if your girlfriend came over, your heart would feel better?" I asked.

"Yes, definitely."

"I'll be over soon, silly boy."

I changed out of my jeans and tank top into a large sleep shirt and cotton shorts. I ran across the street as fast as I could and climbed the lattice up to Edward's bedroom. He was waiting for me with pink cheeks, ruffled hair, and a lazy grin.

"Come here," he beckoned with wide, open arms.

I snuggled into him, wrapping my body around his. He kissed the top of my head, letting his hands snake up and down my back. A few more passes over, he pushed his hand underneath my shirt, rubbing my bare skin. It felt so good that I let out a satisfied sigh, wriggling closer to him.

That's when I felt it. He was definitely hard against me, and sort of whimpered when I'd wriggled. Just to test my theory, I readjusted myself which earned a more confident moan. Slowly, I trailed my right hands down his bare chest, scratching my nails across his abs.

"God, that feels good," he said quietly. "Keep scratching," he whined when I momentarily stopped.

I giggled and kept on. We stayed like that for probably half an hour until Edward's snoring stopped me. I wrapped my arm around his waist and got comfortable, falling asleep to the sound of his snores and the soft wind outside.

I woke up to a dull sun and Edward's happy face.

"Good morning, pretty."

I smiled at him. "Morning."

"Want something to eat?" He asked me.

I nodded, my mouth already watering at the word, food. As I got up, Edward took my hand and we began our trek downstairs.

"Wait," I said, halting our movements, "your parents will know I spent the night."

"Don't worry, they went to Forks to visit Dad's old colleague. They won't be back until tonight."

I nodded and we continued downstairs. I got out the ingredients for omelets, bacon, and toast while Edward put on some music. After we burnt the first omelet, we decided that scrambled eggs would be way better. As I got out more eggs, the doorbell rang.

Edward turned off the music and a sort of eerie silence was left over the house. It was odd feeling that way though. It was the daytime and we lived in a close-knit neighborhood. There was no reason to be worried…yet I couldn't shake the fear of something impending.

I trailed behind Edward toward the foyer. When he opened the door, my heart tha-thumped.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Edward's POV**


	19. Hell

**A lot of you guys are asking if I still have the previous extra POVs if you're new to this story...Yes, I do. Just review on whichever chapters you want the alternates from and I will send them.**

**Also, make sure you're signed into your account and not in as Guest. I've had many people whom I couldn't reply to for that very reason. Enjoy!**

* * *

**EDWARD**

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked, rushing forward to hug Tanya. Tanya smiled at me over Bella's shoulder.

"I'm off for the month of December...Christmas break," Tanya explained.

"Wait," Bella said, stepping back. "How'd you know I was over here? Mom and Dad don't know, do they?"

"Slow your horses, Bee Bee," Tanya chuckled, stepping into my house. "Ma and Pa Swan are as oblivious as ever. You guys just aren't that subtle."

Bella then smiled, a true and genuine one without fear. "Well, I'm glad you're here. How long are you staying?" She asked as we walked back into the kitchen.

"Through Christmas," Tanya answered to Bella's shocked face. "Mom and Daddy agreed to spend the holiday here!"

"Ugh, I'm so excited!" Bella squealed, beginning to crack open more eggs. "Want some?"

Tanya shook her head, happy to just hear Bella chat. We spent the rest of the morning eating breakfast and catching up with Tanya. That night was my big game against Forks, and for some inexplicable reason, I was nervous. The thought of melding my new life and my old one made my heart tremble and my throat swell. I knew one glaring reason that made me sweat.

Lauren. Would she come with the Forks crowd, or stay home? Would she rile Bella up, make a scene? I had no clue, but I knew I needed to make sure that Bella was very aware that crazy Lauren could come out to play.

"Hey," I said, softly interrupting Bella and Tanya's talking. "Are you coming to my game tonight?"

Bella smiled, placing her hand on my cheek. "Of course. The girls and Jasper are, too."

"Count me in as well," Tanya chimed in.

I felt better knowing there would be people around Bella, people that would stand up, defend, and protect her even when I was unable. "Good. Well, you know tonight is against Forks..."

Bella's face morphed into remembrance. "Oh, yeah. God, I hope _she_ isn't there," she sneered.

"That's what I was going to remind you of. You know, just in case she decides to confront you."

Tanya's eyes were squinted. "Who broke up with whom again?" She asked.

It was an odd question, but I answered nevertheless. "I broke up with her. Anyways, she and I haven't talked in a while so I have no idea what she's up to anymore."

"Well thanks for the reminder," Bella said, her face serious.

Tanya broke the tense mood with a loud clap. "Well, you guys up for shopping?"

Bella was instantly happy again, agreeing quickly. I, unfortunately, had one more exam to take before I was off for break so I had to study as much as I could. I explained this to both girls and they understood. Bella left with Tanya shortly after that and I was left alone to study, my heart just as choked and unsettled as before.

* * *

"Hey, pussy, cheer up."

I gave Emmett a hard look. "Thanks, Em. Your words of encouragement surely should help pull me out of this funk," I retorted.

He snorted quickly. "God, you sound exactly like Bee. You guys have been spending too much time together, Mr. Bella."

That got a laugh out of me thankfully, and the tense rock sitting on my chest lightened in pressure. "Sorry, I'm just worried that Lauren's gonna come to the game and try to start shit with Bella."

Emmett stared at me for one long second before asking, "We are both talking about Bella, right? Have you forgotten that girl takes no one's shit? Not even her own flesh and blood." His hand pointed at his own chest.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I still don't like knowing someone's messing with her and I can't do anything about it," I muttered just as the coach came into the room.

Coach began riling us up for the game, trying to pump some spirit into us. We were just about to run out when Emmett spoke again, quietly, his hand clasping my shoulder.

"Dude, seriously. Don't worry. Even if Bee Bee was alone, she could handle herself. But, she's got Rose, Alice, Jasper, _and_ Tanny. They would never let anything happen to her."

I nodded, feeling immensely better. "Thanks."

A few moments, we ran out of the field house onto the green. It was hard to fully take in the crowd with my limited vision through my helmet, but it looked to be the most packed game we'd ever had. The Forks side was absolutely full, no seats left at all to take, with people even sitting on the track, wrapped up in blankets. The home side was just as crowded, with posterboards and signs stuck up everywhere. I made sure my first stop was the benches so I could see Bella. She didn't disappoint.

She was so beautiful in her crimson turtleneck, huddled together with Rose and Tanya. A large fleece blanket covered them, along with Alice and Jasper. She smiled when she saw me, immediately waving. My heart clenched. I definitely didn't feel like playing right now. I wanted to be with her, keeping her warm, cuddled underneath a warm blanket.

Hell, if I was being honest, I'd rather be back in my bed with her, but I knew that would come later. Feeling so suddenly needy, I tore off my helmet, making sure to focus her attention on me. I could hear her and the girls scream my and Emmett's names.

Finally, Bella's attention was zeroed in on me. I mouthed as crisply as I could, 'I love you'. Her face softened and the happiest smile ever lit up her face. 'I love you so much' she yelled back at me, earning everyone's attention around her. I laughed, carefree, unweighted, and so in love. It wasn't exactly orthodox to first exchange I love yous at a crowded football game, yards away from each other, but Bella and I had never really done anything orthodox thus far. This was actually kind of perfect.

Soon the game started and things got heated. Jake had yet to be played, staking his claim at the visitors' benches. However, the other Forks players were hostile and rough, a huge step up from the last time I'd played with them. I wasn't sure what the Forks coach had done differently, but there was definitely some aggression going on. Thankfully though, we were undefeated and better at the game, so I wasn't too worried about it.

At half time, we were up by a few points. Admittedly, Forks was much better than I anticipated. Coach gathered us up and hustled us across the field, standing at the door patting our backs as we entered the field house.

Just as everyone settled down, Coach came in, his face stern and annoyed.

"Cullen!" He barked. "You've got a visitor. Make it quick!"

My face scrunched in confusion, but I slowly backed out of the building. My jaw clenched when I saw who was waiting, who'd had enough gall to request my presence from my coach at halftime.

"Edward," Lauren sighed, looking me up and down.

"Seriously, Lauren? God, you're gonna get me in trouble. I thought I told you told leave me alone forever?!" I asked rhetorically.

"I was going to," she hastily replied, "but I've got some news that requires your attention," she said.

Suddenly her right hand lifted, as in slow motion, and was placed on her stomach that was just slightly bulging on her otherwise very thin frame. She'd either eaten too much Taco Bell on the way here or...holy shit.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Lauren's POV**


	20. Storm

**Alright, I told you guys in my Author's Note that I had changed things this time around, so don't be mad/confused when things aren't as they seemed in the original Wicked Little Girls. Here ya go!**

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**BELLA**

Tanya's leg bounced quickly beside me and my hand shot out to still it. "Calm down. What's your problem?" I asked.

Tanya glanced at me sideways, expelling a breath. "Bella, I've got to tell you something."

I frowned. "What is it?"

"You remember homecoming? Right after you came off the field, and you went with the girls to the concession stand..." Her voice was low.

I nodded slowly.

"Well, I never told you that I ran into Lauren in the bathroom. And I overheard a certain conversation she was having."

"_Okay_?" I was confused at this point, wondering what had Tanya so wound up.

"She was talking to someone about how she was cheating on Edward. I then made myself known and threatened her to break up with him or I'd tell everyone her secret."

My mouth fell open. "What? Why didn't you tell me?" I was kinda sorta angry, but not much so because he was away from her and mine now.

"I wanted to wait and let their relationship deteriorate naturally. If he'd known she was cheating, who knows how long it would have taken you guys to get together...I saw the way you looked at him, Bee Bee."

"We don't keep secrets from each other," I said.

She nodded, ashamed. "I know and I feel like an ass for keeping that from you. I'm so sorry."

It's then that I felt horrible. I loved Tanya so much and never wanted her down. I hugged her tight. "It's fine. No more big secrets anymore, though. Deal?"

She hooked her pinky with mine. "Deal."

"I have to go tell Edward..." I muttered.

Tanya's hold on me stopped me. "Just wait until after the game. He doesn't need that stress right now."

I agreed. "You're right. After the game."

When the team came back out, I was surprised that I couldn't find Edward and his jersey anywhere. I noticed my hulk of a brother, but my boyfriend was nowhere in sight. I appointed Rose and Tanya to help me look, but to no avail. I was ready to go search for him, but something kept me grounded.

However, when the game ended was another story. I raced to the field house, taking perch at the fence immediately. Tanya and the girls were quick to follow. The crowd thinned as most of the people went to their cars to leave. The Forks team came out of the guest field house not too much later, and Jacob spotted me like a hawk.

He was unusually somber. "Hey, Bella."

"Hey, Jacob," I responded politely. Rose and Alice said hello as well.

"Has, uh, Edward come out yet?" He asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer. His quiet attitude was off-putting, so unlike the obnoxious boy I'd hung out with the few times.

"Not yet. Hopefully soon though...he didn't play the second half of the game."

Jacob frowned, his brows furrowing. "Have you seen Lauren around by any chance?"

I shook my head, my cheeks heating in anger. "No. She better not be here," I muttered.

Jacob then looked around at our surroundings, his eyes suddenly locking on something. "Oh, my God."

I noticed his contorted expression. "What's wrong?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I think there's about to be a shit storm." He looked at the parking lot, saying, "Thank God there's not many people left around."

"What's going on?" I asked in confusion.

Just then, Edward came out of the locker room. He was dressed in sweatpants and a big Brown University hoodie that Gran had gotten him. He looked so cute, yet his face was pained, like he was sick. I waited for him to approach me, but his gaze stayed on the ground. Because of this, he was blindsided by a blur of blonde.

Murder shot through my veins as Lauren attached herself to Edward in a hug. I was so fucking ready to hop the fence and stab a bitch, but Edward very gently pushed her away and kept toward me.

"Edward..." I said as he was near.

He looked at me then with sad, bloodshot eyes. "Bella," he whispered, touching my face. "I don't even know how-"

"I'm pregnant!" Lauren then announced to the world.

My mouth dropped in absolute shock. "What?" I asked numbly.

"I'm pregnant and it's Edward's," she explained smugly.

"Impossible," I breathed out.

"Hardly," she snorted. "We hooked up at the Halloween party. Didn't you wonder where he disappeared to?"

"You - you drugged him!" I yelled, outraged.

"I would never," she said, feigning innocent. "I love him. He's the father of my baby."

Jacob looked on in disbelief as the whole ordeal went on, shaken and mute.

I looked to Edward for some semblance of refute. "Edward, is this true...?"

He shrugged, tears slipping out and down his cheeks. "I don't know...I- I don-."

Tanya's admittance earlier then hit me. "Wait a minute, you were ch-"

"This is fucking enough!" Jacob finally exploded. "I'm done, I'm done, I'm so fucking done," he said hysterically, his hands tearing through his hair. "I'm so sorry, Edward. Truly so sorry."

Edward had sobered up quickly, eyes wide in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Jacob looked at me, then Edward, then with anger at Lauren. "She's lying, Edward. It's not your baby."

It was so silent then that you could hear a pin drop. "Someone needs to explain," Edward said with gritted teeth, inching away from Lauren who was on the verge of her head exploding in rage.

"Shut the fuck up, Jacob," she seethed.

"No," Jacob yelled back. "I'm done keeping your secret. Edward, Lauren's been-"

"Don't you fucking dare!" Lauren screeched, jumping toward Jacob with clawed hands. Thankfully, Emmett had come out of the field house and was able to catch her before she did any damage.

"You're a fucking psycho," Jacob raged. "Edward, man, the baby isn't yours. Lauren's _five_ months pregnant."

Edward's chest hyperventilated. "What?" He asked.

Jacob finished his sentence then, shocking us all. "With _Seth Clearwater's_ baby."

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Jacob's POV**

**For those of you that have already reviewed on Ch. 20 when it was my author's note, don't worry**

**I'll still send the extra POV because you can't review twice**


	21. Ever After

**BELLA**

"_What _the fuck?" Edward's face was widened at the eyes and mouth in shock. "Seth Clearwater…?"

"No, Edward!" Lauren shouted from within Emmett's tight grasp. "Don't believe him!"

"It's true, man," Jacob said sadly. "It's been going on for at least five months…since the end of summer."

The breath left Edward's chest, and I gripped his bicep for support. "I believe him," I added. "Tanya walked in on Lauren in the bathroom at homecoming and she overheard her conversation."

Tanya piped up. "She was talking about going around behind your back, and refusing to tell you."

Lauren's face was murderous. "You stupid bitch!" She wailed, lunging for both me and Tanya.

Suddenly a fist came out to my right and Lauren was down, rolling to her side with a loud groan. We all looked to Esme who stood before a shocked Carlisle.

"Honey, you can't do that, she's pregnant," he said, although the conviction was lost in his tone.

"I don't care," Esme cried, grabbing for Edward. "She was trying to ruin our son. I hate her so much."

I wrapped my arms around the crying pair, feeling more arms coming around my back. After a few moments, we released and Carlisle bent down to Lauren.

"Bella, would you please go get the medic so we may leave?"

I nodded, running off with Rose and Alice at my heels. We located the medic quickly and he went over to Lauren to check her out. Just as we were about to walk away, Edward stood at Lauren's feet. She looked up at him with a bloody nose and a swollen belly.

"If you ever try to contact me again, I _will_ take you to court and slap a restraining order on you. Goodbye, Lauren."

He began to walk away and Jacob attempted to stop him. "Edward, please…"

"No, Jacob," Edward said sadly. "I can't talk to you right now."

Jacob smartly nodded and watched us walk away. Edward's hand was tightly gripped in my own as we walked toward his car. We all agreed to meet at Edward's house for some pizza, and Edward and I snuggled securely in his leather seats.

He didn't start the car though; the silence was deafening as he threw his head against the headrest. His knuckles were white from the tight fists he formed.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

"Don't be," he said seriously, looking straight at me. "While the way it came out sucked absolute dick, I'm glad it happened. You are all that matters to me."

My heart fluttered and I leant forward to kiss him. "This was actually my favorite day," I whispered against his lips.

His tilted frown was in confusion. "Why's that?"

"Because it's the day we first said I love you to each other." His answering grin was beautiful and I kissed him again. "I want to hear you say it out loud," I mumbled.

He held my face in his hands, looking me square in the eyes. "I love you so much, Isabella Swan. So very much."

"I love you, too," I said, smiling.

"I think I always have," he added.

"And I always will," I ended.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Lauren's POV**


	22. Christmas Love

**I want to preface this chapter by reassuring some of you. I suppose I may have left some loose ends with the last couple of chapters. Lauren and Edward did not engage in any sexual activities at the Halloween party – she did however hook up with Seth in the bedroom, thus Edward seeing a large male back just before he passed out. She drugged him just so she could try to convince him they did have sex, and trap him into a relationship with her.**

**I'm going to be posting a new story soon, after Wicked Little Girls and Wild Hearts (which shouldn't be very much longer) are finished. I'll let you know! Enjoy…**

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**ONE YEAR AND SOME ODD DAYS LATER…**

**EDWARD**

"Bella, that's not where the red one goes!" Alice screeched, running barefoot across the living room toward my girlfriend.

I chuckled, leaning back and redirecting my attention to the TV. Charlie sat beside me, shaking his head in unison with my dad while Bella and Alice bickered about the placement of ornaments. Emmett was busy sorting through boxes of old Christmas lights, deciding which to hang on the porch railing. My mother and Renee were busy baking in the kitchen, and Rose and Jasper were engaged in a game of chess.

My heart swelled with emotion as Bella paused her fight with Alice to smile and wink at me. I mouthed 'I love you' to her and grinned when she replied. It had been the greatest past year of my life.

There was no more drama with Lauren, I had my real friends in my life, and my grades were impeccable. It turned out that Victoria had been the one to supply Lauren with the roofies, and had been taken in on charges of possession in another instance. Lauren had her baby and was still attempting to earn her GED while living with a McDonald's-employed Seth Clearwater. I hadn't spoken to Jacob since last December, and I was okay with that.

On top of all my good fortune, I had also been invited with Bella's family to travel to California for New Year's Eve; we were staying with Tanya and her parents. Things were amazing, and on Christmas Day, they would be even better.

A week later, it was Christmas Day. After my parents and I had exchanged gifts and ate our usual holiday breakfast of French Toast and hot chocolate, we went over to the Swans'. There, my parents handed out their gifts to Renee, Charlie, Bella, and Emmett. Renee, Charlie, and Emmett each gave us gifts as well. When that was done, Bella and I went up to her room to privately exchange presents.

I opened mine first, wanting my full attention to be on her when she opened mine. I carefully opened the small envelope, my mouth dropping in shock when I saw what it was.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked quietly.

She grinned wide, shaking her head. "Nope, Mom and Dad fronted it. We're all going: me, you, Em, Rose, Ali, and Jazz."

"When?" I asked, still in shock.

"After graduation," she answered. "It's sort of like a graduation present, but I wanted to give it to you for Christmas."

I chuckled, leaning in to kiss her. "I can't wait to be in Brazil with you." It was an airline ticket to Rio de Janeiro for a full week.

"We get our own private cabana, too," she whispered on my lips. "Away from our hoodrat friends and my meddling brother," she teased.

I groaned. "God, I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Open mine," I urged.

She smiled, taking the small box in her hand, tearing the wrapping paper off wildly. "Oh, wow," she breathed as she plucked it out of its box.

"It's a promise ring," I informed her. It had an antique silver band, with a small sapphire cushioned in the middle for September.

"It's so pretty," she muttered, sliding it on her left hand.

"A pretty ring for my pretty girl," I assured her.

"Have I mentioned I love you?" She asked shakily, admiring her promise ring.

"Every day," I smiled.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you get Bella's POV**


	23. Isle of Love

**If some of you aren't getting the extra POVs, it might be because you aren't signed in. I've had many reviews left under Guest and I'm not able to send you them that way. Log in!**

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**BELLA**

I'd never seen water so blue. Mom and Dad had rented us three private cabanas for graduation, that sat on the Brazilian shore overlooking the deep turquoise sea. It was magnificently gorgeous, framed by the light sky and diamond-shine sand.

I was first to throw my suitcase in the bedroom of my and Edward's cabana; I changed quickly into my bikini and ran like hell toward the water. Emmett was a close second, as he scooped me up and twirled me in the air over his shoulder. We spent the entire day splashing each other, attempting to drown Jasper and Edward; I tanned on the shore with Rose and Alice, and stole quick kisses with Edward in between water fights and attempting to catch tiny waves on the boogey boards. The perfect day drifted into the perfect night.

After dinner, Edward and I lay in our giant king bed. It was a lot like mine at home with its fluffy comforter and pillows. A gauzy canopy cocooned us. We spent the night kissing, feeling, and talking about a few months into the future.

Edward and I were going to Brown come August. We'd already secured an apartment near campus in the same complex as Tanya. She would be just a few doors down. Rose was off to NYU, and to stay close to her, Emmett chose Columbia. Alice and Jasper were staying near home and attending The University of Washington.

Although the summer had just begun, it felt like everything was coming to a close. I'd been with Alice, Rose, and Jasper for all of my teenage life, and a few years before that. Rose would be around I was sure; she and Emmett were meant to be together and they'd been talking of engagement as of late. Edward was my forever. Since Jasper and Rose were step-related he'd also be around, and by association, Alice.

Despite the assurances that I'd always have my best friends, it was hard not to let the melancholic nostalgia sweep over me. I had so much to look forward to in the future that it was pointless to dwell on what would be missed.

Day two of our vacation brought a fresh sunburn on Edward's neck, causing me to load him up with the highest-powered sunblock I could find.

Day three, we travelled into the city and danced until our feet hurt and the locals went to bed.

Day four was just like our first – beach games and tanning followed by a quiet dinner.

Day five, we ventured back into the city and had a marvelous evening at a club.

Day six, Edward and I stayed in our room most of the time.

We ended our trip like we started. We swam until we were sufficiently pruned, got dolled up and went to dinner, and reminisced in the living room of my and Edward's cabana while doing shots. It was the perfect vacation to put an end to some of the best years of my life. It was also a toast…to many more good years to come.

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get Emmett's POV**


	24. Beginning of Forever

**Last chapter, guys! I'm really sad, but also happy that this little story gained such a following. I can't thank you enough. As I've stated before, I'm going to be posting a new story tonight, so if you want, check it out!**

**Go to tehlemonadestand to vote for Wicked Little Girls on the poll for story of the week!**

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**BELLA**

"It feels weird to be back here," I whispered.

Edward's room back in Washington was mostly bare since he'd moved most of it into our apartment in Providence. Nothing was familiar but the bed on which we were laying.

"I know," he breathed quietly, pushing his nose against my throat.

"I miss our apartment," I said suddenly.

Edward chuckled against my skin. "One more week and we'll go home," he promised.

I had a sick satisfaction out of the way he said 'home'. While we'd only been living in our apartment for four months, it felt so much more than a home than the one I grew up in ever had. It was most likely because of Edward's presence. Every surface in our place was mingled with both of our stuff, down to the shelves in the bathroom. Since Tanya lived in the same building, she was often over with her new boyfriend, Cam.

Emmett proposed to Rosalie on October 15th, her birthday. Since we all lived so far apart, my parents had decided to throw them an engagement shower/party when we came home for Thanksgiving break.

I had escaped and was hiding in Edward's bedroom while my mother ordered the decorators and caterers around. Despite the empty feeling of Edward's room, the Cullen house was just as inviting as I remembered with its perpetual cinnamon smell, Esme's warm hugs, and Carlisle's gentle smiles.

When it came time to head over to my house, Edward and I drove over with Esme and Carlisle; it necessitated a car ride since a light snow was falling.

Rose was glowing with absolute happiness as she pulled me into a tight hug; she murmured that she loved me and couldn't wait to officially be my sister. Emmett attempted to wrestle me just as Alice saved me by jumping in my arms. Jasper was next, and I hugged his dad and Rose's mom then. Gran slipped me a drink.

The menu for the night was hors d'oeuvres and flutes of champagne. Emmett and Rose took turns telling snippets of their engagement story, while everyone listened intently. Edward held my hand throughout the entire night. As things wound down, everyone broke off and left after promising to get together the next day.

My mom and dad retired to bed pretty quickly, and Esme and Carlisle were fast to leave. Once Edward and I were left alone, I grabbed two thick toboggan hats from the hall closet, as well as gloves. Together, we walked outside and sat beneath the patio. White covered everything in a cold wonderland, leaving us shivering.

"I forgot how beautiful it is here," I sighed, my breath puffing out.

"Yeah," Edward murmured, squeezing my left hand. He did this so often it became a habit, his fingers squeezing my left hand one with his promise ring.

"It's so weird to think about this," I started. "I mean, my brother's engaged. He's going to be married." I shook my head in disbelief.

Edward smiled over at me. "We'll be married one day."

A pink stained my cheeks despite the harsh cold. "Mm, that sounds like something to look forward to."

His gloved hand caressed my cheek. "I can't wait to call you Mrs. Cullen."

I grinned. "I love you so much."

His surprisingly warm lips pushed against mine. "I love you, Bella. Always and forever."

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**Tit for tat: Review and you'll get a futuretake!**


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